I read a lot of books and manga, i watch a lot of tv shows and animes. I love writing (which i post); painting and drawing (which i keep for myself) my fanfiction account: https://m.fanfiction.net/u/6177345/DianaPana
Day 8 – Sacrificing someone else to save loved one
I have underestimated my procrastination ngl. I also am currently working and have exams in a month so I am getting slightly stressed so yesterday I needed a break. I am starting to doubt my ability to finish all prompts in August….I maaaaay post some here and there in September after I am done with exams. Sorry for the randomness that may come from now on. Hope you enjoy anyway! Love, Dia~
*
It was supposed to be a normal and simple journey of wandering. As an elven kind she has seen all there is to see, she has experienced lifetimes of joy and sadness, she has made countless connections and lost them all but learned so much from each of them.
This one was supposed to be the same. She met wonderful warriors and mages that were on a similar journey as her, their roads crossing multiple times before they decided to form a party. She did not expect to meet another elf like herself, Sasuke was much less sociable and integrated with other species. Yet they formed a connection, as they are the first of their own kind either have met in centuries.
Throughout the journey they have left behind friends that managed to accomplish their goal and met others on and on. The only constants were Hinata and Sasuke as the two elves and Naruto, a warrior in search of a way to get rid of a curse placed upon his being.
After multiple detours Naruto insisted they journey to the end of the world, where the mystical mage that can cure him rests. As shameful as it is for elves, both Hinata and Sasuke have not yet journeyed that far so it was a new adventure for them all.
*
“This must be it!”
Naruto’s enthusiasm was contagious as he was jumping around laughing. Hinata loved seeing him happy, so she followed half a step behind. Sasuke on the other hand was not as pleased; he reached out to stop her.
“I sense that something is wrong here”
But the blonde warrior did not wish to heed the warning, rather he stepped right in, no more thoughts given. Hinata suddenly worried went after him. After a moment of hesitation Sasuke too followed.
This is how they ended here…in this situation.
The disgusting and misshapen man has his eyes on her, his eyes smiling at her distress and internal conflict. The blonde boy in her arms is bleeding and crying looking up at her begging, he is alive and she could heal him if they manage to escape.
Sasuke is in the grip of the creature, unconscious and missing a limb. When they were attacked, he stepped in front of them, to protect them. He was wounded deeply, and Hinata hurt the creature in turn.
But as the situation stands neither of them can kill the other without killing themselves as well. So, the creature proposed a deal for Hinata.
“I am being generous” the horrid voice says. “The time is ticking”
Her fingers twitch. Naruto is holding onto her arms for dear life.
“Hinata, we must leave. Please-“
But his words fall on deaf ears.
“I agree to the trade” Tears are running down her face as the creature laughs.
Many things happen in that moment. The creature lets go of Sasuke’s limp body and attacks Naruto. Naruto screams for Hinata, clawing at her and she… Hinata in turn runs to catch Sasuke before he hits the floor, not daring to look back and see the violence. Trying to ignore the bloody screams of her friend.
The elf in her arms, cradled carefully as she runs away before the creature changes its mind and attacks them.
Hinata is holding him dearly. In that moment of choice all she could think about was the loneliness of being alone. Naruto was human and he would pass and leave her alone. Sasuke on the other hand…he would be with her forever. So she chose to not be alone.
Earpiece in, dark glasses on his eyes and a constant frown. This is Sasuke’s normal demeanor. Add to it all the fact that is he very tall and looming over most people and he looks frightening. That helps him in his job, it’s easier to guard elite people and keep everything in order when he looks the way he does and intimidates anyone that might pose a threat.
For the past 5 years since he started this job he has never had any issues. Most of his jobs before were for a couple weeks or best a few months, and all the people he has been a bodyguard to have been very pleased. To the point that he was now assigned to protect for an undecided time quite a big celebrity.
The door opens in front of them, the voice in his ear tells him to brace himself for a crowd. There are iron dividers keeping the fans away from the celebrity and-
Almost as if on instinct he turns to the celebrity shielding him moments before the gun shot. The crowd is screaming; he is bleeding and in pain.
In a hurry they enter the car. Eyes wide as more and more blood pools on the car seats.
*
“Could someone go to room 302? The patient needs new bandages”
The voice on the pager is static-y but she replies that she will go. Hinata just finished putting in an IV to the patient in 300 so she is just a couple doors over.
She turns on the lamp by the bed, not wanting to disturb the patient yet.
As per customs she knocks on the door before stepping in. It is dark in the room and quiet. According to the chart at the bottom of the patient’s bed he was shot in his lower ribs and underwent a surgery to remove the bullet and stick back together the muscle. His name is Sasuke.
Turning to the medical supplies cart she brought over she takes some bandages, rubbing alcohol, gauze, cotton pads and a new pair of gloves. Once everything is prepared she walks to the door to turn the overhead neon light on.
The man in the bed is awake and has been staring at her with a lazy smile on his lips. His pupils are super dilatated, he is obviously on a shit ton of painkillers and probably some anesthesia from the surgery.
“Hello Sasuke”
He doesn’t reply just follows him around.
“I will unbutton your shirt so I can replace the bandages.”
Still no reply, but she goes on and does as she has to. When her hands unbutton the third button Sasuke gasps and catches her hands, keeping them still.
“I am not that easy. You need to take me out on a date first”
His voice is low and words slurred together. Sasuke shakes his head and presses her hands further into his chest.
“A nice dinner date”
Hinata smiles, used to patients talking nonsense. His grip isn’t too strong so she breaks free.
“I will buy you dinner after. I really need to do this”
More buttons undone.
Sasuke looks at her bewildered, but nods.
“I like boldness. Yes. Undress me”
He opens his arms wide, eyes closed and head thrown back. That actually makes her giggle. Does it totally work because he is handsome? Yes.
Once the shirt is off, she leans closer and has to reach around him from both sides to undo the bandages. That’s when the man’s arms wrap around her in a similar fashion hugging her.
“You smell pretty”
This one is a bit more troublesome to get out of but she manages.
“Could you be a good boy and keep your hands up for me?”
The man looks confused at his empty arms and then at her to the side. But then tries to focus on her instructions. Hinata helps him by raising his arms. And tells him again to hold them still.
“What do I get? Reward?”
Hinata starts working immediately. Wiping away the blood, more gauze.
“What reward do you want? I already promised a date. Aren’t you asking for too much?”
Hearing that Sasuke frowns and whines, he puts his arms down. Saying if there’s no reward why should he be good.
“Alright, I promise to give you a reward you want”
Satisfied smile on his lips, he puts his arms out again, but to the side rather than up. That works as well.
Hinata is fast and efficient and finishes the job without much more trouble. He plays with the ends of her hair, staring at her concentrated face.
“I know what I want”
Taking off her gloves because they’re stained with blood she looks at him now too, she’ll have to get him a new shirt also.
“What do you want?”
“It’s a secret”
His eyes close and he almost instantly falls asleep. Hinata returns a few minutes later and dresses him up back. Light off and she leaves. Laughing at the cute interaction, it made her long shift a bit sweeter.
*
She has to go to 302 on her next shift as well, to bring him food and more meds. The man now should no longer as high as he was before.
Hinata knocks and enters the room. Sasuke looks at her, with the tray in the hand and smirks.
“I hope this isn’t the dinner date I was promised”
He has been thinking about her, part of him is embarrassed, but the other part was hoping he would see her again. His brain was fogged up before so Sasuke wasn’t sure how well he remembered her but…well...she is so pretty.
“Why? Are you not satisfied with this as a date?”
“I was thinking more…restaurant and then a long drive on my bike?”
The nurse puts the train on his bed, meds bottle on it as well and checks some of his stats on the paper.
“I am not sure you’ll be able to drive your bike for a while”
“Ok, forget the bike. Dinner and a drink at my place? I can show off my cooking”
Picking up some other things to fiddle with. Hinata is shy and doesn’t know how to deal with him. People on anesthesia are fine, they don’t remember things. But this really handsome man is flirting with her for real. This has never happened before.
“I also remember you owe me another reward too. Don’t tell me you’ll go back on your word?”
Cheeks red, but she looks at him finally and walks around the bed to be by his side.
“Alright. I will keep my promise”
She cannot believe she is flirting on the clock, with a patient. That was shot!
“I am Sasuke. May I know the name of my future girlfriend?”
He is either super confident or still a bit on pills. Probably pills.
“I am Hinata”
“Hinata” the man repeats her name twice more, as if memorizing it, as if he is testing the sound of it from his lips.
“You know Hinata…I’m starting to be happy I got shot”
So…this story is actually half written by me in 2023 or so, I was planning to make it a full series but never got around to it. So in a change of plans I finished it now as a longer one-shot. I am happy to be able to bring it to light after 2 years, i reread it before posting to make sure it made sense and it is very dear to me...I am happy it sees the light of day, yet sad since i feel i could ahve done more for it.
Still, I hope you’ll enjoy!
Love, Dia~
*
Hand over his backpack, holding it in place and close. He’s been told one too many pick-pocket warnings before his journey here. Sasuke takes a sip of his coffee and meets the eyes of the woman in front of him, a professional smile on his lips.
“Thank you for taking time from your day to help me”
The woman is older, in her 60s maybe. She smiles back at him.
“Don’t mention it. I was shocked when you contacted me a few months back”
Yes, he reached out to her, she is a Hyuuga. This is a very uncommon name in their generation, so it wasn’t difficult to track down the few descendants of the family.
Sasuke is a doctorate student in literature, or well…he will be the moment he makes sure the subject of his thesis is possible.
During his bachelor and master studies he was always aware he wanted to get a PhD, so he was constantly on the lookout for possible themes from the gothic period since that’s the area he is most interested in, however nothing really sparked an obsession. He wants to write about something new, to discover theories never seen before. “The dreams of a young man”, as his professors call it.
Part of it is curiosity, but a big part is also pride. He rejected a theme imposed by a potential coordinator because it was boring, in return the professor made sure to let Sasuke know he was delusional. That everything has been said and done regarding that period, and that he should focus on contemporary times. What should have been a PhD consultation ended into a big conflict and Sasuke being on the bad side of a few important members of the academic personnel.
He decided to skip this year, to find his theme and try next autumn. And that is why he is here. During frantic white nights of reading over various writings from the time, he found a letter from one of his most loved writers. A letter that has been studied over and over. The letter was not particularly academic, the man was merely writing to a beloved friend about a vacation he took with some fellow writers. However, a name stood out to him, a name he did not encounter anywhere else but that letter, a name that has no research done on. ‘Hyuuga’
Apparently one of the ancestors of this family was a very close friend with the founders of the gothic writing, yet not a single writing by them could be found. He was intrigued and decided to search deeper, if he could find any piece of writing from Hyuuga that would breathe fresh air into the genre, that would put his own name on the literary theory map.
“You mentioned there is an estate that has been in your family for generations?”
This is his 3rd Hyuuga he met in 4 months. Nothing found yet.
“Yes that is correct. My great-great-great aunt Hinata lived there on her own. She never married and had no children, so once she passed, her estate went to her sister, my side of the family. However, it is quite far and deep into the woods. Not much good, is it now?”
Sasuke nods as he scribbles in his notebook the information. He asks for a birth and death timeline, the woman can only approximate between a few years. She is unaware where this Hinata is buried.
Despite the fact that he is very impatient to go to the estate, he waits for the woman to finish her brunch, waits for her to find the message from her own mother with the coordinates.
Once all is settled, the gps on, Sasuke drives the two of them towards the forest. He explains briefly about his study, but does not elaborate too much. No point in giving away too many details before he knows with certainty that this will be it.
The woman is quite giddy to be involved in the hunt, so she calls her mother trying to find out more about this mysterious Hinata, but to no avail.
After a few wrong turns and confusing old forest roads, finally in the horizon an olden estate appears into view. The tips of his fingers are starting to tingle. It has to be this, something has to be here, surely.
It takes the woman quite long to unlock the door, both the key and the lock are very old and rusty. The door opens with a lot of screeching. The estate is in very precarious condition, wallpaper and plaster are falling off the walls, the wooden floor in certain places looks rotten, many of the paintings have yellowed and they cannot really tell what they represent anymore. It is the definition of ghost house. But he can envision how it used to look; he can see its former beauty.
The moss and ivy have taken over the outside façade, the windows are blocked by it so only a little sunlight can enter, making everything quite dark. Thankfully Sasuke brought multiple flashlights with him.
“I will look around”
The woman seems less pleased now, the house seems to have spooked her and she returns to the car to wait there.
Sasuke walks through the hallway, the kitchen, the dining room, eyes wide open in order to make sure he does not miss a single detail. He wants to find papers, notebooks, letters.
He has brought with him multiple plastic sealable bags and adds a few books into them, first edition from X writer, an uncensored of a now-altered short story. The volumes exist already in the open, copies of them having been found in the libraries of various writers of the time. Nevertheless, they are historic relics from that period. His anticipation is growing with each proof that she may indeed be the Hyuuga mentioned in the letter.
The sound of his footsteps on the wooden floor echoes around the estate, he makes sure to look around the lower floor one more time, before returning to the hallway. In front of him are a set of steps. They may prove to be a bit more difficult since he is unaware of which steps have enough integrity to hold his weight.
After a few tests with rocks thrown, after making sure the railing is at least sturdy he makes his slow ascent.
The first 2 rooms are uninteresting, they are mostly guest rooms it would appear, little décor. But the third door he opens makes him stop in his tracks.
A study. Three beautiful and big book shelves on the wall opposing the door, a small desk with various papers on it in front of them. His hands are trembling as he approaches.
Unfortunately, most of the papers on the desk are either blank, seem to be accounts and paperwork or have deteriorated beyond repair.
His eyes turn to the bookshelves and he meticulously goes through each book. Many more go into bags, but none of them seem to be Hyuuga’s writing.
After sorting through the books his disappointment is palpable. No original writing.
Sasuke leaves the study and continues through the other rooms, 2 bathrooms, a master bedroom where he finds a few more books, but still not what he is after.
There are no more rooms to be inspected but he is not satisfied, it feels like he is so close, but just missing the mark.
Particularly the bedroom and study, he feels he needs to search once again. But it is late and he has to take the woman back into the city.
Disappointed he returns to the car with the bags, all of them are neatly placed in boxes in his trunk. The woman is in the back seat sleeping when he opens the door. She jumps awake and quickly senses that Sasuke was not successful.
“How about I give you the key? You can look some more and when you are done you can bring it back to me. Now you know where the estate is”
Those were magical words. Sasuke did not know how to thank her enough.
*
He is at the estate early in the morning the next day. More prepared today than he was yesterday. Higher quality mask, and protective eye gear. Gloves on.
Despite wanting to run back to the study immediately he takes his time looking though the downstairs floor again, but comes up empty.
Sasuke spends 4 hours inspecting every corner of the study to the point that he feels himself going insane.
But it is here, he can’t explain why he is so certain, but he is utterly sure. As he walks around the small space one of the floorboards makes an odd noise that catches his attention. Sasuke steps on it again, same noise. Sure it could be that it is old, but maybe…
Taking a step back and kneeling next to the problem board. His fingers try to catch onto it, to grip it and perhaps with more force than needed he starts to pull. The board moves with ease and reveals a hole in the ground, a tin box inside of it.
His heart is beating out of his mind as he gets the box out from there, shaky fingers open it, and he feels like crying instantly.
It is filled to the brim with perfectly preserved notebooks.
He carefully pulls one out and flips through it. Hand-written manuscripts for more stories than he could know what to do with. Almost as if he were afraid that a gust of wind would blow away the words from the pages he closes the notebook, placing it back and closing the box. It is placed into a sealed bag and then a cushioned box and inside the car.
Now knowing Hyuuga’s trick for hiding things he starts all over, looking for odd floor boards.
He manages to find another box in the dining room. It feels absolutely unreal. Each notebook has dates on them, ‘starting date’ and ‘ending date’ some of them at the top, the most recent ones are unfinished.
Some could argue that he has more than enough material to write about for the following thousand years, but he is greedy and wants everything, if there is more to be found he will find it.
The last room is the dormitory. Even as he approaches the door he is certain that there are things to be found here. But after 2 hours of looking at the floor he finds nothing.
Eyes falling on the big bed that takes up quite a bit of space. Hands on the side of it and he pushes it slightly to one side. Nothing. He walks around it and pushed it the opposite side more.
Careful fingers touching each board, the first 2 do not budge, the third though? It opens revealing a smaller tin box, filled with letters, a few small paintings of a woman he assumes is Hinata.
Sasuke sits down on the dirty floor, takes off his gloves that are filled with dust and who knows what else. With clean gentle fingers he picks up one of the paintings and inspects it. She looks elegant and beautiful. This is the woman whose voice he will make heard. This is the woman who will make him known in the world. They will help each other out.
*
The first thing he does is to take all of the books to be treated and properly preserved. He returns the keys to the older woman and informs her of the findings. Some legal procedures will have to take place in order to properly compensate them for the materials he took from the home. Sasuke has to inform the ministries of literature, art and culture as well. He will ask for funding since the preservation process alone will most likely drain him of his money.
It’ll be a whole ordeal, but it doesn’t matter. What matters is he has found her, Hinata Hyuuga. She is here in these pages. She is his to discover and share with the world. Their names from now on will be entangled forever in the history of literature.
*
The wait for the process to end is excruciating, but necessary. The last thing he wants to do is damage any of the treasures found.
But once the tin boxes are finally back in his possession Sasuke starts to read. He starts with smaller things, letters.
Some are letters written by her that were never sent or which she received back, but many are from other writers. One such letter alone is going to be a revolution in the literary world. His pride swells up in him as he holds the same piece of paper as some of the world’s biggest inspirations. He can see his professors sneering at him and his dreams. Sasuke did it.
But the more he reads the smaller the idea of fame and renown for himself gets, and the more invested he is in their friendship. Hinata was a trusty help and the voice behind many important changes done to various books. It sis fascinating to read her suggestions of change that shaped iconic moments. She was the host of many writing escapades. It is insane to think that perhaps in the guestrooms he inspected the idols of the Gothic spent sleepless nights writing masterpieces. He was there.
It took him almost 2 weeks to go just through the box of letters alone.
He decides to stop for 2 days from reading and deal with more paperwork, to further continue to deal with the ministry and the government.
But the morning of the 3rd day, the Uchiha man woke up feeling extremely well rested, escited to continued reading, to actually read the very first belletristic writing from Hyuuga. His hand reaches into the box and pulls out from the box the notebook dated oldest. He will read them in order.
Sitting comfortably on the sofa in his study, appropriate lighting, hands clean and nothing in the room that could harm the fragile and priceless notebook. He turns to the first page and reads-
‘Dear friend reading this, I ask that you do not judge me too harshly. It is sincerely unfair to make me, the friend that has opened her home to provide you all with quietness and serenity, write. It is even more cruel that I am writing this knowing you shall read it.
I do so love reading all you have to say, but what do I have to say that has been unsaid by you?’
The first few pages seem more like a journal entry, like a letter depicting her anxiety to start writing. It also paints a wonderful image of what is occurring at the Hyuuga estate, one of the writing vacations seems to have been her start into the literary world.
As he reads, he takes notes about aspects he will have to mention in his thesis.
Sasuke continues to read her very first story. He turns page after page after page, many times forgetting to take any notes for he is too immersed in what he is reading. The world she paints is awfully bleak and the protagonist of the story, a shy girl, is far too pitiful. It has been a long time since he has been that moved.
The story is short and has a tragic ending that brings tears to his eyes. Notebook placed back in the tin box. He needs a moment to compose himself. He notes down. ‘The action in itself was not something too complex, but her manner of speech-’ he doesn’t even know what to say. He has no words to properly describe it.
Sitting up to do a small lap around his desk. He feels different, altered by what he has just experienced. If he could go back in time before he read it, he would, just so he could read it again for the first time. There’s this feeling in his heart that he did not properly savor the work upon his first read. That he did not do it justice as a reader, that he needs to atone.
That day he reads it twice more. Each time there’s more details he sees, both in symbolism and lexis.
When Sasuke lays down in bed that night his head hurts, he has been so focused the whole day. Taking a painkiller as well as a sleeping pill after he cannot seem to make the pain go away for almost 1 hour.
*
“What hour is it?”
He mutters still half asleep. The sound of soft rain can be heard; the soft cool breeze blows though his hair.
Eyes wide awake because the window in his room should be closed.
“Hello”
Sasuke’s heart stops as the woman looks at him with a shy smile on her lips. She looks just like her portrait.
“You are…”
“Hinata. Yes. And you…you are Sasuke”
His name uttered from her lips sends a shiver down his spine. His logical brain is starting to take over, he remembers going to bed.
“This is a dream”
The woman hums and sits up. Her light blue floor-length skirt moves with the wind and looks like a flowing river as she steps closer and sits next to him.
“I dislike the use of the word dream here”
Sasuke feels the sofa dip under him when she sits down, he feels the soft body heat coming off of her, he feels her long hair dancing in the air and tickling his arm. It feels more real than his own existence many days.
“I would prefer the word encounter”
His mind is racing ,and he does not understand. But in that moment he is unsure he wants to. For so many months now he has been looking for evidences of her, for so many weeks now he has been reading her letters and staring at her portrait. He feels like he knows her.
“Encounter. I like it”
Hinata smiles widely at him and he has to look away. She is far too close to be that beautiful.
They are in her study, the estate looks loved and taken care of, it looks homey and the air is fresh and chilly. On the table in front of them lays open the notebook containing the story he had read that previous day. The pages are pure white, not the yellow-ish color he knows.
Hinata’s gaze follows Sasuke’s line of sight.
“I would love to hear what you thought.
You are the first to read my story.
I was far too shy to show it to my friends at the end of their stay at my home. I hid it away and lied I was unable to produce even a sentence”
That is bewildering, that he is the first to ever lay eyes on that story. It feels taboo. It feels like a crime that she was not known. A million words of adoration and praise fly though his mind. He opens his mouth and closes it. He doesn’t even know how to start, what can he even say?
Hinata watches him struggling, but she waits patiently. This is new to her too.
“I have never felt so different after reading a piece of work. It is almost like once I put the book down, I was seeing the world through your eyes.”
She expected him to be kind and give her praise. But the way he explained it…it felt real and genuine. She had moved him. Her writing had made him feel things.
Hinata’s hands clutch around the material of her skirt in her lap, head lowered as tears pool in her eyes. In her view, her writing was good and she loved to read it, but she was never brave to show it to others. She hid it and locked it away. And at one point she started to believe it did not deserve to see the light of day.
“Thank you”
Her voice is small and broken. Sasuke unconsciously reaches out to her, trying to touch her shoulder as a friend would do to comfort a weeping friend.
Neither of them knows the unspoken rules of this encounter then. So, the moment Sasuke’s hand touches her, he is jolted awake, the encounter world ripped apart leaving a bitter taste in his mouth.
The feeling that he had just touched her lingers still, in the real world, his fingers twitch almost as if alerting him that something is odd.
But the more time passes the more he is sure it was merely a complex dream constructed up by his tired mind, after all he has been obsessing over her for the past half year, it is not strange for his mind to conjure her up during the night.
Sasuke has read about this too, researchers slowly losing their grip on reality the more the obsession takes over. He’ll have to be more careful.
Taking a deep breath to calm his racing heart and mind, the image of her on the sofa flashes through the darkness.
Her outfit was the one from the painting he often looks at.
…
“She was so beautiful”
*
After that day he puts a pause on his reading and analysis, he needs to reconnect with the outside world, to reach out to his close ones, all who are very used to this behavior.
“You pulled out of this one sooner than expected. It’s only been 5 weeks since we last saw you”
Sakura and Naruto, his friends, made time to meet the moment Sasuke texted them.
“I felt the need to get away for a moment. I’ll get back to it in a day”
The two friends look at each other bewildered.
“Is that…the start of a work-life balance I hear? Is our little Sasuke starting to grow up??”
Sakura fake wipes a tear away as saying the words. “I am so proud of you.”
It’s nice being with them, their goofy demeanor used to bother him, but now it brings him a sense of calm and normalcy. The tension in his shoulders starts to melt away. Yes, he should take breaks more often.
They catch up, Sasuke talks about this new project, Naruto tells them about his newest cases as a police officer, and Sakura shares how her residency is going. They have all become much more busy the past 2 years but their friendship survived long-distance when they were all in Uni in different cities so it will survive this too.
After 30 minutes or so the topics turn to much lighter ones.
“I heard Ino got engaged. So, expect wedding invitations”
Both of the boys make a mental note to congratulate their friend later today.
The walk back to him home after the hang-out feels a bit too quiet and lonely. Maybe the information about Ino also got to him a little. His brother has been pestering him for years now about finding a lover but he was never too interested in that. But now…picturing the empty and silent house makes him wish he would at least have someone waiting for him there.
*
“You frown a lot when you focus.”
Sasuke raises his eyes from the notebook and is met with beautiful lavender ones. Another dream. It’s the 5th already.
“I have been told that before. People say I always look annoyed”
Hinata smiles a little but doesn’t deny his statement.
“My friends said I always look sad when I concentrate. I became quite self-conscious about that, it’s difficult to constantly try to smile artificially”
That does not align with what image he had of her, in all the paintings she looked happy, in all her letters she seemed cheerful.
“I read the story about the boy and his dog today”
Hinata always blushes whenever he brings her writing into discussion. Her eyes fall to the ground. Sasuke can’t understand why she is so shy or almost embarrassed about her writing. It is magnific in his opinion; she fits right into the genre while adding a more mundane and melancholy feel to it.
“I didn’t like writing about that one.”
Sasuke nods and looks at the notebook.
“I could tell”
Shocked by the man’s words Hinata looks at him, confused. How could he tell something like that? Never did she write anything post the story about her experience while composing it.
Sasuke’s observant eyes understand the subtle expressions on her face.
“Out of all notebooks thus far this was the only one to have some damage. Certain pages had folds, a few stains, an entire page scribbled out.
…
On the penultimate chapter there were water stains throughout as if you wrote while actively sobbing”
Her mouth is agape at his commentary, it was spot on, everything he said.
“It feels unfair. With each meeting you come here knowing more and more about me and I know nothing. It makes me feel unprepared”
It is true, he knows more, the more he reads the more vivid the image of her. Both in the dream but in reality too. He is able by now to compose an informed characterization. Each of her novels depict her as the writer behind in various lights, as he puts them together her image is clearer in his mind.
“I assure you, I am not nearly as interesting as someone of your talent”
Hinata’s cheeks are bright red while Sasuke smirks at her, knowing full well by now how these compliments affect her. And the dream ends the same as it did the psst few times, Hinata too embarrassed to go on listening to Sasuke’s words, sits up and slightly touches his arm leading their secret world to shatter.
After each night he wakes up in a better mood. Today he chuckles at the final image of her frantically trying to escape the conversation and world. From fascination and curiosity his feelings towards her turn slowly to endearment. She is too easy to care about, her demeanor is so inviting and calm. It makes him feel at ease.
*
One of her friends wrote once that a simple life is the epitome of happiness as long as simplicity is all one knows. It takes one moment of excitement to turn an eternity of simplicity into an eternity of boredom. Once acquainted with the thrill of something unfamiliar, the familiar feels like a let down.
‘You are now stuck into an endless run towards excitement’ he had described it.
She never truly understood those words, they felt powerful and true as she read them the first time, but she did not relate to them. Hinata liked her simple life, the predictability of it, the familiarity. But now…? Well…she cannot lie. It is quite boring in between encounters. Hinata never knows when they’ll happen they are extremely irregular. The first two were merely a week apart, but after that she had to wait almost 13 months for the third. Hinata was certain it would never happen again when a few weeks passed, so when Sasuke appeared in front of her eyes a year and a bit later she couldn’t help her shock. She always gets mad at herself for breaking the dream up so fast, but in the moment she cannot think and it’s over before she can realize the mistake she made.
Sasuke Uchiha. An entity of her mind, a man of the future that’ll find her buried works to bring to light. A dream of success that she dares not utter in this life. A man that will turn her failure into success.
Or so the dream goes.
He is handsome and well-spoken and smart. He can tell her about her emotional state and thoughts while writing any of her pieces thus far just from the words used, the pen strokes, the condition of the notebooks. Fascinating.
After their first meeting Sasuke became briefly a name she wanted to incorporate in a story but stopped herself, Hinata simply cannot put him into a story that she’ll finish writing in a few months, it would be cruel and unkind to both of them.
He deserves more, and she…she would be devastated to end the story, if she starts to write about him as a character she will never write about anything else. At the same time, she cannot even start to fathom how she would go about writing him into a novel, how would she know his thoughts or actions? It may be her dream, but she does not dictate his words, he is his own person and no matter how hard she would try she could never mimic him into a story.
Rather than fiction, she keeps a journal, a much thicker book than all the other notebooks. She writes about their encounters in detail. His odd clothing, his way of speech and mannerism. His eye color, the way his hair softly falls over his forehead, the 2 stylish silver rings on his fingers. If she could paint, she would paint him. Hinata is surrounded by talented young people of her age, but not one of them looks like him, quite as handsome. Perhaps her tired mind created him exactly to her liking, perhaps him being unreal is why it is so easy to talk to him. Still, when his deep black eyes look into hers and he compliments her writing, dream or not, she cannot handle that. Her heart rate speeds up, her cheeks flush and her body moves on its own trying to escape the moment but regrets it right after.
Despite only meeting 5 times she has already filled 35 pages of information about the man. After a dream she only focuses her writing on the journal for 3-4 days and once every detail is included and she can no longer prolong it, she goes over the words and rereads them, experiencing the dream all over again. She then closes the book and puts it for safekeeping in a separate box in the floorboard. It feels like a bigger secret than her already hidden stories.
By their 6th meeting she notices a pattern regarding when the dreams happen. But she does not want to think about that, it would put more pressure on her.
According to her theory, she always meets Sasuke the night after she finishes writing one of her stories.
Indeed, it is too much pressure on her shoulders for these meetings to be entirely dictated by her writing. Part of her wants to test it, to write something short and fast to see if Sasuke appears, but on the other hand she would be embarrassed to let him read anything subpar quality wise.
And lately, since they started talking about writing techniques and Sasuke started offering her feedback on her stories, Hinata is even harder on herself about writing. Each sentence needs to be perfect. Hinata wants to write something that Sasuke would enjoy reading, somewhere along the line… her novels are for him alone.
So, it has been 4 months since the last dream and thus far she has written about 7 different starting points for 3 different stories, none of which feel right. She feels trapped once again by her own mind, initially it was easier to write knowing nobody will ever lay eyes on the words she laid on the paper. But now…the fear of writing returned.
Rather than obsessing over the issue to no end, Hinata decides to take a small break, leave the comfort of her home and go visit some family in the city. The winter cheer started so perhaps that will offer her some inspiration.
*
Her next notebook is unfinished, it contains various starts, but the stories go nowhere. After each abandoned story the words ‘He would not like it’ appear. His heart feels conflicted seeing those words. For some reason thinking that Hinata is writing for the eyes and for the likes of another man upsets him. The notion is so silly to him that he can’t help laughing at himself and questioning his sanity.
There are many studies that show the human brain cannot differentiate love for a real person and a character. It is love all the same. Hinata may be an author from hundred of years ago, but to him, she is more real as any other woman.
Pushing past the ‘jealousy’ he continues to read. All of the stories she was debating working on are interesting, but they do seem slightly lacking both in idea and execution.
The following notebook is red and slimmer, it is a story taking place during the winter holidays. It is also a romance story, something Hinata has not written before.
As he reads, he finds himself smiling at the sweetness. It’s light and does not fit that much into the gothic, but it feels like…she has fallen in love.
*
She finished the story that night. And the encounter happens.
In her haste and joy of seeing him again after so many months, after having spent quality time with her family, Hinata instinctively goes in for a hug. The word shattering before they even greet each other.
She wakes up extremely upset and cries as her journal is filled with pages of self hatred in that moment.
*
“Make sure you stay there. I do not want another happening like last time”
Sasuke shakes his head, he is leaning against the wall, far away from Hinata who is on the sofa.
“I apologized already. I was happy to see you after so many months”
Her statement confuses him. Frowning.
“Months? We meet every night”
“We do not…between the 2nd and 3rd encounter over a year passed”
That was something odd to be added to an already odd situation. The fact that they experience time differently…
“About your last two stories, they seem slightly different. Your voice is lighter. Have you…found a lover?”
Her cheeks redden at the forward question.
“I have not.”
She pauses and debates if she should add more to her answer. Sasuke allows her the time to think and speak, not wanting to interrupt her.
“I wrote them thinking about you” It took her a lot of courage to say. Her gaze is away, not sure she can deal with his reaction.
Thump. His heart drops at the words. Thus far he still could bend reality to convince himself this is real, that he somehow managed to connect with Hinata’s consciousness. But this answer? It is what he wanted. He was able to push forward and read by lying to himself that he was the one she developed feelings for. An obviously impossible happening. Having the confirmation from her makes the encounter feel all the more fake, for how could a mind as brilliant as hers fall in love with him?
In the end it is simply a dream. She is just his imagination alone. She is saying all of these things because he wants her to.
“I told myself the same as I read. I couldn’t deal otherwise”
Hearing the words her gaze is on him, happy with the words, confused by his bitter expression.
“I wish I could touch you” Sasuke’s words echo around them and he steps closer. He has decided that if this is fake, he may as well be honest, lead the dream in the direction he wants, say everything he pleases.
“I would touch your cheek softly, run my hands through your hair and kiss you the way you wrote the couple in the story. I was picturing us throughout the story, each touch-“
He leans in and their lips touch for half a second before both are pulled away from the world.
Unlike usually…Sasuke is upset. He feels stupid for having hoped for more. He feels crazy.
Hinata on the other hand…she fills page upon page in her journal. It wasn’t even a moment but she manages to write about their kiss for days and days.
Her writing muse is present and awake, and she starts and finishes a story in a week, waiting for Sasuke in her sleep.
Each of the encounter from then on are half about writing, half about sharing with each other information, chatting casually and it ends with Sasuke saying the most romantic things to her followed by a kiss.
It’s the type of a romance she could not write down herself even if she tried. Each time she wakes up with the sensation of the kiss on her lips and it’s beautiful and bitter and she wishes it could be more. Greed is indeed a sin, the more she has of him, the more she wants.
*
He started therapy and was encouraged to stop reading Hinata’s stories for a while. He was also told to try and not engage as much in the dreams, that the more he plays into them the more reality and dream are mingled together and he may get lost. The therapist gives him advice how to ground himself into reality, how to overcome the situation.
Sadly Sasuke cannot follow that advice, he is scared Hinata may disappear at any time, so he always says and does as much as he can, not wanting to have regrets.
When he isn’t reading her writing, Sasuke started writing poetry for her, verses upon verses about her beauty, talent, character, about his feelings that grow with each day.
‘I look for you in the shadows of the day
Yet I am met with sorrows and regret
In this dream with you, I’d rather stay
As in this world we have not met’
Sasuke has also commissioned an artist to draw a larger portrait of Hinata as depicted in the one he first found. The painting is in his room across his bed, so he can see it upon waking up. He has a couple more in the making…
His reading speed has also slowed down, he reads one notebook a week at most, sometimes even taking 2 weeks because the stack of stories is growing thin.
His fingers linger on the yellowed cover of the next book. With this one…there are only 4 more to go. The last one is thick and that gives him some hope, but…
*
She writes much more, much faster. Boxes filled with notebooks hidden all around her home. An interesting phenomenon happens and she no longer meets Sasuke after each one. She will write 4 stories and only meet him once. Her heart is expectant each night she goes to bed waiting to see him, his face, hear his words and be in his presence. When he does not show her sorrow and bitterness is immense, but when he does appear…he is more than words could say.
Her journal is running out of pages for her to write in, she will have to add stray papers to it so it can all be in the same place. Sasuke has written her poetry so she in turn wants to write him a letter. She has bought some fancy letter paper and even dusted it with her perfume. She knows it is pointless and he probably will not be able to smell it but…It makes her happy to do this nevertheless.
*
As they speak, she gets the sensation that something is different about him today.
“Are you alright Sasuke?”
The man is restless.
“Yes, do not worry”
Their meeting is much longer than any other, at least it feels like that. They have spoken about all of her writing from the start. He told her about his friends and family, about attending a friend’s wedding. He read her over 10 poems and each time she felt it was appropriate for a kiss he would back away from her.
Despite saying he is well, his leg is bouncing anxiously.
“Sasuke…please tell me-“
“Do not worry dearest” A fake smile on his lips and he laughs, immediately after changing the subject.
Hinata continues to worry but after the third time she questions him and is shut down she does not inquire any more.
Sasuke is in the middle of telling her yet another story when the world breaks apart. Perhaps there is a time limit they did not know of.
She writes about it all in her journal, and finally starts on the letter as well. Wondering if he will appear after reading that one too.
Sasuke wakes up devastated. He read the last story. There is only one notebook, the thick one. He peeked in it and saw it is a journal.
He puts reading it off for days. Goes home to see his mother, meets with friends, continues with therapy. School is the furthest from his mind now, despite it being the reason this all started.
The black book stares at him daily as he passes by his desk. He does not want it all to end, and he does not know how to feel about reading Hinata’s journal.
On a rainy day he picks it up, toying with the idea of starting it. He misses seeing Hinata in his dreams so much. But what will happen after he finishes reading this? Will he never see her again? He is not ready for that. At least the possibility of it happening exists as he has this unread.
As he fiddles with the book a piece of paper falls out of it. He bends down and sees it is a letter. A faint smell of lavender hits his nose and he puts it closer to his face, it is barely there, but he can feel it. Hinata’s smell.
It is exactly how he envisioned it.
The writing on the back catches his eye. ‘To my lover’
The older woman said Hinata did not marry at all…
Curiosity and perhaps jealousy leads him to unfold the paper and read but he cannot continue after the first 2 words.
‘Dear Sasuke’
Paper placed back on the desk. He steps away.
“What?” his voice shaky echoing in the empty room. Did he write it himself in a fit of insanity and amnesia? He has read about that before. People developing ODC or Short-term memory loss and doing such things. Maybe he is going insane. Maybe he has gone insane long ago.
He walks over to the portrait of her, touching it gently, looking at her face, searching for answers in the static image. Thinking about the letter.
But no…the writing is hers. He has grown to recognize it at a glance. The paper is yellowed, the writing itself slightly faded. It is old. It must be real.
With a deep breath he turns to the desk and picks it up again.
‘Dear Sasuke,
You have written so much poetry for me and I wished to reciprocate in some way. You may laugh and find it silly. After all…my novels all belong to you, I write them for you to enjoy and love. Still, a letter felt right.
I am much better at expressing myself this way compared to our sporadic meetings. Yet…having said that I find myself at a loss for words.
I am not sure what to say. How may I express myself and my feelings to you now? Maybe I should just be as simple as possible and tell you that I love you. Neither of us has said it plainly, yet I know it to be ture.
I love you from the moment I wake up until I go to sleep and hope to see you there. I love you each time something nice happens and I wish to share with you, I love you with every novel I read and wish to analyze it with you. I love you each time I step into my office and expect to see you on the sofa.
My dearest lover, who may or may not be real to the world, you are real to me and that is all that matters.
If your existence is a creation of my mind, I fear I have outdone myself. For how could I, someone so ordinary be the composer of such an extraordinary mind like yours? I fear I shall never write a masterpiece quite as grandiose as your being.
You are…the epitome of all I have ever wished to say and more.”
The letter goes on, but the words are unreadable, the paper soaked in the perfume appears to have gotten more damaged.
His heart is heavy and tears are rolling down his cheeks. “It is real to me too”
It appears all of their connections end the same, too soon and never fully completed. The letter, the dreams, they all stop before he is ready.
The journal is a big relief to him, each of the encounters is described in so much detail, he can relieve each one while reading about it. Can see each of them with his mind’s eye. Hinata gave this gift to him. All of his verses and poetry are written in there as Hinata wished to cherish and read them often. The pages are more worn out, as indication that she too has read the pages many times over.
Their love is all present there in the pages of Hinata’s journal. Much more than anything else, her writing there is the most beautiful thing he has ever read.
Yet another part 1 of a series, lol. Seems like i can't write one-shots anymore. Either way i hope you enjoy! Love Dia~
The Missing Case of Hinata – Part 1
Hinata has her eyes closed as the servants help bathe her and comb her hair. Usually, she isn’t the biggest fan of this situation and would rather bathe alone but today is an important day and she needs all the help she can get.
It is the day her father will finally announce the clan order. All her life her, Neji and Hanabi have been treated the same, they grew up learning the way to lead the clan all together. It is unusual for more than one person to lead, but for a few years, before Hiazashi died, the twins ruled together so the 3 of them could too. They each have a third part of the clan under their leadership already anyway.
On the chance that her dad will only choose 1, then it would be her, as Hiashi’s first born it is her right and duty. That way she’ll be able to later give the other two the same amount of power and all will be good. It has been the way they were raised; it would only make sense-
*
Her smile is wide and she raises her cup to cheer with the others. Hanabi is by her right leaning into her shoulder.
“It’s time for us to relax now sis”
Hinata looks down at her and her fake mask starts to slowly slip.
“Aren’t you upset? It was supposed to be us 3 together-“
Hanabi laughs at her words and shakes her head.
“You believed that lie from when we were kids? It was obvious that dad preferred Neji as the head. We both knew it” The younger girl winks at her, as if they were both in on this, as if they both knew and prepared for it.
Hanabi gets up the next moment to go get more dessert. Hinata is left behind, alone at the family table. Was she blind all along? She thought the 4 of them were a unit, all on equal footing.
A sense of alienation settles over her. The mask of happiness fully slips off as she stares blankly at the glass in her hands. Her mind going through a million thoughts a second.
-
The family celebration passed. Neji and her dad were busy mingling with all the uncles and cousins and everyone. Hanabi seemed to break loose, eat and dance and drink, seeming to really enjoy her ‘retirement’. Hinata…she excused herself and spent most of the evening alone with her thoughts on the balcony.
The servants helped her change into her night wear, but her restlessness and sadness were still present and she paced around her room, recalling memory after memory, not knowing where the truth lay hidden. All this time she was so sure. Has she interpreted all her dad’s actions wrong? Was she truly that blind all along?
Deciding it makes no sense to worry alone further, Hinata walks to her father’s bedroom to get answers. Maybe Neji and him have plans to do the same as she was intending to, later down the line to divide the clan into three and-
But upon hearing her questions her father’s expression softens. Not in the reassuring way, but in the pitying way. Her heart breaks further.
“Oh Hinata. Dividing the clan would be a mistake, it would weaken us. It only made sense for Neji to lead. He will always be a Hyuuga. You girls will change your name. After all, you and Hanabi will marry out and-“
“Marry out?”
“Of course. You will help strengthen the clan by building strong relations with other powerful clans. That was the plan all along”
All along…the plan was to sell her. In his eyes she is not even a Hyuuga fully. Her Hyuuga name is just a placeholder until she is given to another clan. The image of equality she had, shatters and lays broken at her feet.
…
Her father is right in one instance. She no longer feels like this is her family.
She leaves his room without a word. The hallways of the home she grew up in feel cold and unfamiliar, she feels alien in a place she once belonged. While she dreamed of unity and togetherness, she was always seen as a dispensable part.
The more she walks the more it hurts, the more she steps over the shards of the broken picture she had.
Not even her room offers her the comfort needed.
*
“Sir?”
The sound in his ear is cutting on and off due to signal.
“I copy”
He was away, finishing off a mission.
“There is movement signals in your personal apartment”
Wiping the blood off the knife before throwing it in his suitcase.
“Was the alarm triggered?”
“No sir”
Case closed and neatly placed in his trunk. Sasuke walks around his car and checks the clock. He has an hour drive back to Konoha.
“Where is the movement?”
“It was in the bathroom for a while, but now it is in the bedroom. Should we send some men there?”
“No. I will deal with it”
When he gets home the door is locked, the alarm is undisturbed, the house is quiet and the same. The only detail that’s odd is a wet towel set to dry. He isn’t particularly alarmed, but if something is off he does have a gun on his hip.
He opens the door to his bedroom and the moonlight illuminates the room enough for him to see a lump under his covers. The long midnight blue hair peeking from under is enough to know who it is.
It makes sense. Hinata knows his passcode, so she can enter whenever.
He walks back to the bathroom to shower and after that to eat some food after a long day at work. It’s 30 more minutes later when he returns to the room.
Sasuke pulls the covers back. The question of why she is there almost makes him wake her. It’s rarely that she comes to him without notice, and even rarer for her to stay over of her own volition.
In normal circumstances he may think more about it, but he too is tired after the mission today, so Sasuke climbs into the bed as well. With a yawn he closes his eyes, but movement makes him look towards her.
Hinata is awake now, sitting up slightly.
“You returned so late”
Hand up and she rubs her eyes, rubbing the sleep away.
“I was away on a job” Sasuke moves her hand out of the way. It’s dark and he can’t tell, but the sound of her voice is different. It may be because she just woke up, but it could also be…that she has been crying. “Did something happen?”
Her answer to the question is a big sigh and she moves closer to him, lowering herself back down to rest her cheek on his shoulder.
“I was kidnapped today. By you. I am a prisoner now and cannot go home. Right?”
Instantly he makes a mental note to look into what happened today in the Hyuuga household that would make Hinata run away. His hand is playing with the ends of her hair.
“Of course, you’ll be here until I say so”
Pulling the cover back over both of them, Turning to the side slightly so they face each other.
Hinata nods and looks into his eyes, but only for a moment before hiding her face into his shoulder. A few seconds pass and her shoulders start to shake, his shirt is damp form the tears. Sasuke frowns and hugs her close, offering her comfort and support but allowing her to cry.
“You’re welcome to be my prisoner for as long as you want”
Their clans aren’t very close, especially the older generations. Hinata and him met through common friends in school and related to one another as kids. Both of them having been raised in a very specific manner. They were the only person they could fully confide in and be understood. Over years the relationship developed to the complex and layered one they have now.
Him ‘kidnapping’ her may cause problems but they’ll figure it out somehow.
The girl’s breathing evened out and she seems to have cried herself to sleep.
“Sleep tight Hinata” Sasuke presses a short kiss on the top of her head, promising to the night that she will be safe for the time being, here in his arms.
Hello dears, similarly to the day before, this one will also be a short series. Apparently I am shit at writing one shots. And making them any longer…oof I don’t have the time to write more right now sadly.
I hope you will enjoy and be excited for the next part!
Love Dia~
Failing Part 1
The condescending look from her father the moment she steps into the room lets her know that the school called again. Hanabi shakes her head disapproving too, a copy of their father.
It has been a few months since the issue started, so despite her shaking hands she walks past them towards go to her room, pretending like she doesn’t care.
“Where do you think you are going? Sit. We have much to talk about”
His voice doesn’t boom nor doe it echoes off the walls, he doesn’t scream. There’s no need for him to. His normal voice and cold tone are enough to feed the shame in her chest.
“You promised this would not happen again” He flaunts a deck of papers on the table. All of them her school-work. Failing grades on them all.
“Your home teacher informed me that you might have to repeat the year”
Her eyes wide and she shakes her head.
“No, why? Can’t I be moved to the normal class? The advanced classes are too hard for me…”
Hiashi doesn’t answer instantly, he searches her face for any clue, a reason for this drop in grades. It has been gradual since the end of the last year. Full marks of 100 turned to 85s now and then, to a 70 from time to time. The first time she got a 60 he grounded her. When a test with the grade 32 suddenly appeared on her desk Hiashi mentioned hiring a tutor but Hinata opposed with her whole being throwing a tantrum for the first time ever.
She promised to do better and he agreed for the time being.
Yet here they are. Her highest grade this semester was a 43. Not even a passing grade.
“No. The normal class is not an option. You would still have to pass the year and at this point you won’t be able to.”
Her expression changes. She’s paler and looks more scared. Head falling forward, her habit of covering her expression with her bangs taking over. Without another word Hinata walks away to her room. Moments later he can hear small sniffles from her room.
Hiashi rubs his forehead unsure how to deal with this further, he can’t understand Hinata. He thought she was doing it on purpose, her way to rebel and shame the family. But her distress seems real now.
She didn’t sleep well, she cried a lot yesterday. Her mind is burdened and tired, Hinata is lost in her own world. She is sitting down on a bench in the yard, facing the school entrance. Many kids pass her by not paying her any mind and she does the same.
It is only when loud laughter blooms all around that her eyes raise. There he is, Naruto. The sun is outshined by him, his energy and kindness. Since she first bumped into him last year her eyes have been following him at every opportunity. Sadly, there are not many moments when they are in the same places, nor do they share any classes due to the difference of normal and advance courses.
Hinata stays back and watches him until he disappears into the building. Naruto is silly and funny, but he is also always late, lingering by the school gate longer each day. And since she waits to leave after the boy does, Hinata is always even more late to her own class.
The first few times she felt very anxious as her classmates and teacher all stopped to stare and watch her sit down, but she has grown used to it now. However, it seems it is one too many times because Kurenai sensei comes up to her.
“Come see me after class”
This time her cheeks do go red from embarrassment.
“Help me understand Hinata…what is happening? I know you are not a bad girl. But with your grades, you being always late…It can’t go on.”
She has no answer to that.
Kurenai sighs.
“I spoke to your father. You will stay after school for tutoring. It is a done deal. An older student was kind enough to agree to help you” Kurenai does not mention that the boy only agreed for extra credit.
Despite her newfound rebellion, Hinata is nowhere bold enough to argue with Kurenai, so she simply nods.
“Good. This is the schedule. Make sure to follow it”
This new added class messes up with her routine of watching Naruto play soccer with his friends after class.
The school has tutoring rooms, a small room with a desk where students cand help one another, all they need to do is request the key in advance. Now that she will get tutoring 3 times a week, one of the rooms is reserved for her.
Her young and in love brain comes up with the fantasy that behind the door, Naruto waits for her to teach her math and geography and-
“Are you going in or will we stay here by the door for the next hour?”
The voice behind her is rough and unfamiliar. Looking over her shoulder she sees a tall boy, dark hair, dark eyes.
“Oh…Yes, sorry.”
Is that her tutor? Suddenly she is very anxious.
Both students walk in, sit down and get their books out.
“My name is Sasuke and I am a class above you. I heard you’re failing everything.”
Embarrassed to seem dumb in front of this new person.
“I am Hinata”
Her introduction is barely acknowledged before Sasuke gives her a few papers.
“Those are initial tests. Do them so I can see your level. After that we can talk how to tackle your issues”
Hinata nods and slowly starts working on the tests. Sasuke yawns and gets his own book out to read some. His eyes looking up from the pages at times to see her progress.
It takes her half an hour to finish the first one. Sasuke takes the paper and pulls out his red pen. Eye twitching as he reads her solutions being all wrong. But they are all off by a few digits. 403 instead of 413. 21 instead of 25. Stupid things like that.
Sasuke reaches over and takes her notebook from under her hand, making her leave a big line as he slides it from her.
“Hey! What are you-!”
He flips a few pages away to where she did the work for the math. After the first two he lowers it and throws it back on the desk.
“Is it fun wasting people’s time?”
Arms crossed over his chest, suddenly very annoyed at this girl. Everything she wrote in her notebook was correct.
She doesn’t answer, just stares down at the desk. A minute passes in silence.
“Whatever. I’ll go tell the teacher that you don’t need tutoring”
Hinata reaches out, taking his hand and stopping him from leaving. If he tells Kurenai she will tell her dad. Her dad will get even more upset and will never allow her to move classes.
“Please…don’t. I do need help. I am failing. I want to pass the year”
Sasuke scoffs.
“You don’t need help. You’re smart and solved everything right. There were questions from my grade too and you did it right. So, what’s up? Why are you faking being stupid?”
Her shoulders fall in defeat, her lip trembles. Looking at the ruthless.
“Fine, keep it to yourself. But I am out of here-“
She reaches out for him again. Eyes begging him to stay. Sasuke looks unimpressed and waiting. So… she just bears her soul.
“The boy I love is in normal classes. I thought if I failed in my advance courses, I would be moved there too”
An involuntary laugh comes out of the boy.
“Maybe I was wrong. You are stupid”
Rubbing his forehead, but he sits back down.
“Why would you ruin your grades? This will affect your whole life. The university you can go to, the job you can get.
If you need to play dumb to get the attention of a guy then the guy is not good for you.”
He cannot believe this girl is for real.
“Please…continue to tutor me…I’ll get better grades and then I won’t fail the year”
It would be suspicious if she started getting 100s again without help, but if Sasuke continued to help, she could slowly improve and all will be good. And maybe since she did so poorly she’ll be moved and-
“Even if you get moved it won’t work. There is only one advance class, but there are 9 normal classes. Plus if you have been in the advanced one from the start they’ll move you a grade up if you switch the normal. You didn’t even know any of this and decided to fuck up your GPA?
I did hear love makes people do crazy things, but this is…”
Sasuke shakes his head in disbelief. Hinata’s hands are tightly curled in her lap. She didn’t know any of that…she didn’t think about that. Tears well up in her eyes. He is right, she is stupid.
“But I will help you. I get extra credit anyway. If I don’t have to tutor you then I can just use the room to study”
“Thank you…”
Her voice small.
And so, a new routine is born. Every other day Hinata meets Sasuke for ‘tutoring’ and on the free days she still watches Naruto play soccer. She enters the building before the blonde, sometimes she doesn’t even catch the sight of him because she can’t be late anymore…
Her first test after the tutoring is a comes back with a score of 62. Kurenai smiles and says she is glad the tutoring is helping.
The two teens are now in the room, studying individually as normal. Maybe it is because the weather is too warm, but Sasuke is not in the mood to read. He closes the book and stares at Hinata for long enough for her to notice. Her eyes on him only stay for a moment before she looks back down.
Sasuke leans forward, cheek in his hand.
“Who was the guy? I am curious”
Her cheeks redden and she looks away, out the window to the fields where some kids still are playing.
“What? Are you that embarrassed? He must be lame-“
“He isn’t! Naruto is wonderful!”
The name she utters shocks Sasuke. It takes him a moment to regroup.
“Naruto? As in Naruto Uzumaki? As in the clown of the school?” Also, his close friend.
Hinata doesn’t say more after that, just nods and continues to work. She obviously doesn’t want to talk more.
“I can’t believe you would rather fail and gamble being in the same class as him than just going to talk to him. He is basically a dog, he befriends anyone.” Sasuke can’t stop thinking about it. Hands behind his head, still looking out the window.
“You really know how to pick them…” Shaking his head. Any other name would not have shocked him as much. “You know he is dating a girl from the nursing school next door right?”
The sound of a sharp intake of air and a pen rolling off the table to hit the ground makes him look back at her. Hinata’s eyes wide.
“…You didn’t know? He and Ino have been together for almost a year”
A year…the same amount of time she has liked him. All this time he had a girlfriend and she…she ruined her grades, her father is disappointed in her, the family atmosphere is tense, and she is here wasting Sasuke’s time. All because she…
Tears well up and they start pouring down her keeps. Sasuke starts to panic as the girl starts to sob.
He made her cry. What does he do? Sitting up he reaches for her, awkwardly rubbing her arm.
“Hey, there’s no reason to cry. I’m sorry I said it that way. I thought you knew…”
Hello dearest, this one will be a small series hat will have at least one more part later on in the month (I picked the prompt already) so keeping that in mind I hope you enjoy!
Love Dia~
Shrine Maiden Part 1
Mornings at her shrine start early, Hinata can feel the icy wind on her cheeks as she opens the windows for the air and spirits to flow inside.
Despite the cold, the next step is to disrobe herself of the sleepwear and change into one of her beautiful kimonos. The elders told her that the fresh air purifies the naked body after a good rest. Sleep helps with restoring the physical side, while the cold restores the mystical.
Once dressed beautifully she steps outside to prepare a cup of tea. It’s silent all around, she is alone in charge of this small shrine. It would be lonely, if she didn’t have so many duties to keep up with.
The morning cleanse ends by 9 and she finally has the time to cook herself some breakfast. From then until noon she is to meditate and appease the spirits.
On special days she listens to the travelers that end up her shrine, but that occurs barely a few times a month. She aids to calm their minds and answers their questions and doubts. Helps perform rituals of letting go and moving on. It’s fulfilling, especially when the travelers at times send her a letter months after their visit to thank her.
In the evening she reads the teachings of her ancestors or embroiders a traditional piece of cloth used for the end of the year ceremony.
When the sun sets she enjoys a small dinner and goes to bed.
It’s a repetitive and quiet life, but one she has grown accustomed to. She has lived this way for many years now.
The faithful day started differently than her normal days. As she was brewing her tea the flame caught the end of her hair ribbon, in moments the beautiful silky-white ribbon was laying on the floor brown and ruined.
That had not happened to her before. Carelessness can happen and usually she would not be hard on herself due to this mistake, the issue was the constant sense of anxiety and dread that filled her soul. It felt as if the spirits were screaming at her warnings, holding her heart in a tight fist.
During the morning cleanse the incense burned through much faster than usually, she had to use 6 sticks instead of the normal 4. In the air she could feel restlessness.
Hinata choses to prepare a light breakfast that did not require cooking since the manifestation of the anxiety seems to be fire. But even that does not go according to plan. As she sits down to start eating there is a knock on the shrine door.
Most travelers arrive later due to the difficult path, the snow, the mountain terrain. So, it came as a surprise that someone had reached her so soon.
Hinata sits up and slightly opens the door. Behind it awaits a man, dark hair and eyes, his cheeks red from the cold. The moment their eyes met the candles at the entrance of the shrine sprung to flames. The first around her heart squeezes harder.
It was him the spirits were announcing from hours ago.
Sasuke looks down at the woman, or better said, the half he can see because she still is half hidden behind the door.
“Good morning. I am in search of the Hyuuga shrine”
As if those were the magic words, the door opens further and he is welcomed inside with a bow.
“You have found your way to the right place” A smile on her lips as she closes the door behind him.
“Please follow me”
Hinata takes him to the ritual hall. Takes his coat and offers him some warm tea. The hall consists of two pillows sitting across from each other at a small table. She has a myriad of candles, incense, a couple crystals, many herbs and one bowl of ash next to a few slips of paper.
She sits down as well, her hands resting in her lap, her eyes warm and inviting despite the sensation in her chest, despite a sudden headache.
“I am not sure how these things go”
The man confesses looking slightly unsure about himself now.
“There is no need to worry, I will guide you along”
Hinata reaches out a hand and takes his. At the touch of their hands other 2 candles light up.
“Tell me what brings you here, what it is you wish to let go of?”
His hand is cold and callous, it does not hold hers back.
Sasuke’s eyes are on the lit candles. It happened twice now. Hope starts to bubble up in him, she must be the real deal. He had been to so many fakes before, each of them asking for money and giving no peace of mind in return.
Despite her questions and inviting eyes he is not sure where to start.
“I would like to get rid of my guilt”
The young woman nods in understanding, not saying anything, waiting for him to continue. By now he has said the story so many times he often feels like it is not about him anymore. So he starts talking in a monotone voice, summarizing his whole life in a few sentences.
“My family died when I was young. Because of my testimony, my older brother was convicted and imprisoned for 15 years. While there he developed an illness and passed away. Now I work at the detective office in the city. I found a few details that seemed odd and I have realized years later that the criminal was not my brother. I regretted it deeply. I thought that finding the real criminal might ease some of my guilt so I spent 4 years obsessing over it, ruining many of my friendships and relations, even my health. The criminal is behind bars now, but I did not feel any sense of satisfaction nor any release when the case ended. I still feel guilty.”
The air is heavy in the room, Hinata’s eyes have tears welled up in them. Despite Sasuke’s apparent detachment she can feel his troubles and pain through their connected hands.
Her free hand goes to wipe a tear from her cheek.
“I am sorry for your situation, you did not deserve any of it, nor was any of it your fault. You have lived with a burdened soul for so long. The Gods have heard your pain”
Her eyes close to mutter a couple words.
“Today we will start your journey of letting go.”
Sasuke nods and goes along with her instructions. He chews on the herbs she gives, he said the words, he holds her hand as she ties the two of them with red string, he writes on the paper his sorrows and watches as the paper turns into ash, falling in the bowl.
It is a long process, it’s the single most complex ritual she has ever done. Even the spirits weep for this boy. She sees the soul of a child deep inside the man, a child crying alone in the dark.
It pains her and often she has to wipe a tear, each time throwing the droplet of water in the burning incense.
The more they do, the more Sasuke talks about it, she notices his shoulders relaxing slowly.
The whole things takes over 9 hours. By the time the spirits tell her to stop she is exhausted, hungry and emotionally spent. Still, she smiles at him as she untangles their hands, both of them sweaty and slightly numb.
“I apologize it took so long, guilt and grief are heavy feelings and they are deeply engrained in your soul”
Sasuke nods, but he is deep in thought. The first 30 minutes he did not believe any of her tricks, but as time went on, as he took in her features and tears the more he believed in her. The more he believed the lighter his head felt.
“Thank you for your hard work”
Despite her smile he can see her fatigue. She brings a small jar containing something amber colored. The content smell flowery.
“This is Lavander infused oil. It helps for relaxation and tiredness.” She explains and dips her fingers into it. She places a dot on his forehead, spreads it behind his ears, on his wrists, on his nape and then does the same for herself.
The sky is a brilliant combination of pinks and oranges.
“The sun is setting, the path back to the city is very dangerous in the dark. Please spend the night here.”
Sasuke thinks about it for a moment. Maybe a night at the shrine will help.
“Thank you for the invitation, how much would that add to the cost?”
Hinata tilts her head confused.
“Cost? Oh no, I do not ask for payment.”
That seems to raise an issue. Hinata is firm in her belief that it is her duty as a maiden of the shrine, a member of the Hyuuga clan, a medium with the ability to connect with the spirits, to use her blessing to help others. While Sasuke insists to pay for both the ritual and his stay.
“I do not accept monetary payments. However, if you want to make food donations for the spirits, we do accept those”
The mention of food reminds her that she has not eaten today actually.
“Shall we have dinner?”
It is not the first time when a troubled soul sleeps over, but it has not happened in a while so she is slightly off balance due to the foreign presence. Also because the man’s soul has more pain than any other she has seen before. It fills up the shrine.
Sasuke watches her. He offered to help cook but was rejected. In his eyes, she moves with grace around the small shrine rooms, despite the lack of fireplace the rooms are warm and cozy.
After staring at her face for 9 hours straight, her image is imprinted in his memory. Her pale skin, her kind eyes and dark beautiful hair. Initially her looks shocked him. There are very few pictures of his family he has, but Hinata looks similar to his mother. The thought both comforted and upset him.
From the back she looks even more like her as she prepares the rice and heats up the soup he feels like he is 7 again, watching Mikoto do the very same thing. The shrine is also olden and the kitchen cabinets and stove complete this image of 20 years in the past.
Hinata can tell that something is agitating his soul further as she works. She sets down bowls of food and there’s electricity in the air. Sasuke thanks her for the food. She mutters a few words to bless the food and thank the world for it and they eat in silence. Perhaps selfish of her not to ask about his mood but her stomach has been rumbling.
Sasuke insists that he cleans up and washes the dishes at the end and she accepts, only so she has the time to prepare his bed as well.
“Unfortunately there is only one bedroom in the shrine. It is unheard of to sleep in the ritual hall. I hope that is not an issue for you”
“That is no problem. It would be ridiculous of me to complain when you are so hospitable”
With the dishes clean and the futons set, Hinata invites Sasuke to the bedroom. The room feels so full and even smaller than she expected with the man inside as well.
“I have a few men robes if you would prefer to change in one of them for sleep”
Looking through her drawer. She pulls out one of the robs and a towel.
“I am sorry, I came unprepared for staying over” He gracefully accepts the clothes.
Hinata smiles. “It is no issue. You can never predict how long the rituals take. This is an individual journey and everyone walks at their own speed”
Perhaps it is because of the intensity of his feelings but her empathy for him is far greater than normally. As is her respect for his ability to continue on, to try and move on. He is very courageous.
“Let me show you to the bathroom, you may use the bath”
Sasuke once again accepts her offer. While he baths and changes in the bathroom Hinata finished her nightly routine in the ritual hall and goes to bath herself. The man is laying down looking on his smartphone. But there is little to no reception here so she doubts he can do much on it.
Hinata lays down as well, usually she falls asleep the moment her head falls on the pillow. As she is about to wish him goodnight Sasuke speaks first.
“I have been told I snore a little. I am really sorry”
“Do not worry, I am a deep sleeper. Have a goodnight Sasuke, may the spirits help ease your soul”
***
It’s a warm morning, the sun shines on his face, the bed is cozy and he feels light. Sasuke turns on the other side and decides to sleep more. But he feels the bed dip under the weight of another person.
A curtain of deep blue hair appears before his barely open eyes. The woman touches his shoulder, softly caressing it.
“It is time to wake up Sasuke”
But he closes his eyes again, wanting to sleep in longer. This earns him a small chuckle from the woman. With an amused sigh she leans down and presses a few kisses to his cheek and forehead.
The blankets are taken from over him and he makes a displeased noise, but the discomfort doesn’t last long as the woman climbs in bed behind him, hugging him to her chest and covering both of them.
“It’s alright, we can sleep in more, mommy will allow it”
He is 5, sleeping in his mother’s arms and there is no burden on his chest.
***
Hinata wakes up in the middle of the night to the sound of crying. Sasuke’s soul is sobbing in his sleep. Her heart breaks for him. In the dark she goes to his futon and caresses his hair, pushing it back, exposing his forehead so she can spread a bit more lavender oil. She mutters a small prayer for him, wipes his tears away, waiting until his soul is more at ease.
As she sits up to go back to her futon, Sasuke, still half asleep reaches out for her, pulling her into him, into his futon.
“Please…stay”
His voice broken and confused. She is aware it is not her Sasuke is speaking to. Whatever dream he was having he is confusing with reality.
Under normal circumstances she would not, but his plea has so much yearning behind it and his soul is trembling like a fearful small child. So, she can grand him a night of peaceful sleep. Hinata stays in his hold, relaxing into the warmth, returning the hug and patting his back.
An odd sense of habit washed over me as I open the door and see the end trail of her long hair as she cross from the kitchen to the dining room in a hurry. Hopes and dreams of what this picture could turn into start to bubble up but I push them down.
I step after her into the room and my mother is by the table adding more dishes to the already full feast.
Hinata notices me before mother does, we share a glance and a smile. Innocent gestures to the naked eyes but they hold behind them years of knowledge and confessions, inside jokes about too much food, about mother being stressed always, years of understanding and comfort.
I know better than to talk and mess up mother’s concentration as she arranges things, so I make my way around the table to put my hand on Hinata’s shoulder and squeeze. When mother finally adds the last touch to the table, with a satisfied smile she turns to me.
“Sasuke! Dearest, when did you arrive? You always enter like a cat and I never hear it!”
I walk to her and give her a hug, a kiss on her cheek.
“I got you the fruits you wanted”
Bag held up as I show her the evidence. Mother beams at me and turns to Hinata.
“Hinata, won’t you be a darling and help Sasuke peel and cut those? I think we are missing a fruit salad”
A soft laugh escapes Hinata’s lips before she replies. “Of course Mikoto”
Yet another moment of immense meaning happens as she reaches out to squeeze my hand as we walk back to the kitchen. Once the door closes, she giggles.
“We spent 5 hours making 3 different types of cakes, but fruit salad is also a must!”
Despite her words, Hinata instantly prepares a large bowl and gives me a knife as well.
“It’s ok, the desserts always get eaten. It’s the other things that at least a portion of goes bad”
As we work shoulder by shoulder our mutual understanding of one another shines through. Hinata washes and peels, I cut, I mix the fruits around. Whenever a piece of fruit is a bit too mushy, I eat it, whenever I cut something a bit too small, I feed it to her.
Hinata’s work is done before mine is, but she remains by my side to chat about our day. As I put the knife down her arms wrap around me in a hug. It’s so bittersweet. I love feeling her, but I wish I could pull her in for a tighter hug, for more than that. However, that might muddy up the sense of friendship we have built over decades of being us.
Itachi steps into the kitchen and Hinata’s arms drop instantly.
“Mother said we should go change so we can take pictures”
Both of us nod. Our ways parting in the hallways, I go up the stairs to my room, while she steps outside to run cross the street to her own home.
10 minutes later everyone is gathered, my whole family and the Hyuugas too. Father is setting up the camera so we can take the same picture we do every year. It is our mothers’ birthdays. Yes, they share a birthday, they have been close friends since birth, even managed to convince their families to move across from the other. Each year they switch who is in charge of the celebration dinner. It’s a tradition that has been happening since even before either of us kids were born.
Due to their closeness, there has never been a moment in my life when I didn’t know Hinata. 24 years of history.
Whenever our dads start having a small argument we look at each other to roll our eyes, when Neji or Itachi mention something we did not know prior, we would pinch the other’s thigh as a sign that we’ll talk about it later. For 24 years I have stayed in the chair right next to her, we have built a language only we could speak, I know all there is to know about her and she me, yet…there’s space between us that I do not know how to close.
As a teen I was sure it would just take time, but as the years keep on going, I become less and less sure.
Once the dinner ends and everyone is so full they barely are awake, Hinata and I always sneak away into the backyard on the wooden swing, a cup of wine in our hands in the past few years.
Sometimes we laugh and talk, other times we sit in silence, her back leaning into my shoulder as we swing slowly. Today it is a moment of quiet. Comfortable quiet when the pressure to make small talk is not there.
I always wonder if this is the moment, when I could do something, change how we are. But I never do. I am worried it will make it odd if the feeling is not mutual and I would rather have her like this, than not have her at all.
So another chance passes by me, another dinner, another year.
Hinata POV
“Thank you Mikoto”
“Of course dear, you know you are like my daughter too”
I wasn’t sure what to do when mom wasn’t home to help me sew a tear in my dress. Under normal circumstances I could either change or sew it up myself, but it is a bridesmaids dress for my friend’s wedding and it matches with the other girls and well…it is in the front of the dress, and I am not skilled enough with the needle yet to seamlessly hide it.
So I ran over to the Uchiha’s. It’s good I checked the dress first, so now Mikoto has time to fix it while I get ready. I brought over all my make-ups so I can do that as Mikoto works on it.
“The sage green is a pretty color, it will look great in pictures” she says as her fingers caress the satin.
I agree with her with a smile.
“Have you thought about what color you would like for your own wedding?”
The question catches me by surprise, but it does fit in the conversation and it is hypothetical.
“I like blues and purples, so maybe one of those?”
A normal answer, not much thought given to it as I continue to apply glitter shadows to my eyes.
For a few minutes we continue our work in silence, which I assumed was because we were each focused. But it seems Mikoto was preparing for a bigger question.
“When are you planning to get married?”
Cheeks red fully, left speechless I look away from her. There have been older or distant family members that would ask me that but I always gave a diplomatic general answer and left, rolling my eyes internally. But Mikoto to ask me? Never happened before.
“Surely you won’t make us wait too long. Both I and Hikari want to still be in our early 50s when you kids get married. So, you have a few more years, but…I say the sooner the better. No?”
Blindsided by the turn of conversation I try to compose myself, but Mikoto decides not to spare me any moment and continues talking.
“So far I kept quiet because Hikari said we have to wait for you two to be ready. And I did. But now your friends are starting to get married, so the timing feels perfect now.
You kids wouldn’t even have to do any work. Me and your mom can handle it. We just need you to say what you like-”
The door opens and I am so thankful to be saved from this whirlwind of a situation but my eyes are met with Sasuke. He takes me in, on their livingroom floor, red as a beet, pjs on, make-up on and dress in Mikoto’s hands.
“Sasuke dearest, you look so handsome in that suit.
Ask Shikamaru who the tailor is, we should go to him for your wedding too”
Oh my God. Internal screaming. Sasuke looks at me just as confused and bewildered, trying to find the answer in my expression but I have no answers to provide. Since he is facing us both Mikoto can see his expression and understands his confusion.
“Me and Hinata were talking about when you two will get married.”
Mouth hanging wide open. Us two, get married. Head looking down, keeping my eyes hidden from Sasuke by my bangs, scared of what he might see in them. Scared he might see that behind confusion and embarrassment, I am happy that Mikoto thinks about us this way. That in the dark of the night, while I sleep I sometimes dream of us in this way, together, married.
“Mom-”
Sasuke’s voice is unsure, very different from his confident usual self.
“Oh please, you kids don’t have to keep it hidden any longer. I never really understood why you were trying to hide anyway. We all know you’ve been dating for so many years now.
Anyway, I was thinking a wedding next year would be nice.”
Mikoto says definitively and even hands me the dress, having just finished the stitching.
She leans down and gives me a kiss on the top of my head and just leaves the room, like nothing, like she didn’t just wrecked everything.
Sasuke clears his throat, and I finally look up at him, thinking I controlled my expression well.
Eyes wide because he is blushing and looking away. Yet his expression betrays him and everything I feared he’d see in me…I see in him. Heart pounding, I sit up to my knees, look at him getting flustered more by the moment. In a moment of insanity, bravado and fake confidence that I can turn this into a joke if it goes wrong, I open my mouth.
“Should we? Get married next year?”
The few seconds of silence that follow are the longest moments of my life ever, I have to keep myself from saying ‘joking’ about 3 times.
“Next year sounds good”
His voice cracks slightly in the middle and he tries to smirk, to seem casual about it. But nothing about how he acts is casual about it. Nothing about how I act is casual either. It makes me wonder how we could have been so blind, how we saw everything about the other, everything…but the romantic nature of our affection.
“I am not joking”
More certain now, the damage has been done already. The fear I felt moments ago persists, and I probably am red as a beet, but I will not let this chance pass me by, not another year.
Sasuke frowns and stares at me, trying to understand what is happening, why I am saying all of this. I take in a deep breath and smile at him, the type of smile that I have been fighting back all these years. I try to stand up, but I trip on the dress in my hands, Sasuke reaches out and helps me steady myself.
Leaning deeper into him, bringing our faces closer.
“Say something?” I beg, because his silence is going to kill me.
He doesn’t say anything, instead, a warm hand cups my cheek and pulls me in for a kiss. It should have been clumsy and awkward, but it’s perfect and tender. Like this is just one kiss out of the million we have already shared. The way I fit in his arms is just right, the way my head tilts up perfectly to meet him, the way even our breathing is in sync, the familiar feel of his hair tickling my palm, the smell of his cologne.
When Sasuke pulls away, I am grounded to the moment. Right, we were here, having a conversation. An odd conversation.
“Maybe we can even think about this year? There’s still a few months left in the year”
His seriousness makes me giggle, which in turn makes him kiss me again. And I can’t help but pity our past selves, for the time it took us to get here.
24 years of hidden love once uncovered burned with the power of a thousand suns.
Mikoto must have been eavesdropping, the moment Sasuke proposes this year, the door opens and she is all smiles.
“I have always loved the idea of a winter wedding! I will call Hikari and we will start looking at venues tomorrow. You said blue and purple? That would look beautiful in the snow-“
Mikoto goes on about planning, but she is talking to herself as she takes her tablet, looking up and noting everything as me and Sasuke stare into each other’s eyes.
“We are so stupid”
I agree with him, but it’s fine now. Arms around his neck I give him another kiss.
Finally!! Some cute fluff written by me!! I really had fun writing this story, I hope you all enjoyed!
Sasuke cracks his neck, then starts cracking each knuckle, even turns his body around, stretching. Black gloves on, mask over his nose and mouth. His black eyes alone are the only features not fully covered.
His gloved hands reach out for the various knifes and swords on the wall. A small one goes up his sleeve, a sword behind his back, a few more hidden in places he would have access to easily.
The door opens briefly, letting in the moonlight. Fugaku nods into the dark. Sasuke unseen even with the new-found light source.
“Remember Sasuke-“
“I know”
Cutting short his father’s oncoming speech. He has heard it a million times for the past 18 years, it is one of his earliest memories.
“I know” He repeats again. To convince the man.
Today, his life long mission will finally come to fruition.
A 4 year old Sasuke alone in the dojo with his father, he was too young then to find his father intimidating. Itachi had worked hard to instill familial views in him. Yet there he was alone, in secret.
Fugaku looks down at his son and hands him a sharp blade.
“You are the second born Uchiha brother. Your duty is to do the work your bother, as the head, will not be able. You will be in the shadow.
And your most important mission will be to eliminate the Hyuuga future clan head”
A drawn image of a young girl on a scroll is presented to him. Fugaku goes on to talk about duty and honor. About how Konoha cannot be left to the likes of Hyuuga.
Everything the older man says is far too advanced for a child’s understanding. Sasuke cannot grasp the weight and gravity of the knife in his hand.
The sound of his father stepping further into the room pulls Sasuke out of the memory.
“Do not return here after the deed. Make your trail lost. I have your alibi prepared in advance”
Sasuke nods and thinks of Itachi and his mother, both blissfully unaware of the mission his father put on his shoulder, unaware of the burden he has been carrying for the past 18 years.
He takes a split second to breath in before going off.
His feet promptly take him to a side of the city he has only ever seen in plans. The two clans are not allowed to enter the neighborhood where the other lives. After centuries of internal wars, that is what the 2nd Hokage decided.
It is an odd and eerie feeling being here, in what should be an unfamiliar place, but one he knows better than their own estate. The roof curves at the degree he expected, the 17th tile to the right on is cracked so he does not step on it.
The inner-yard is arranged exactly as he saw in drawings. Sai, a valuable spy has provided them with years of sketches each week. Sasuke has more drawings of Hinata instilled in his memory than he has the outline of his own room.
Another spy has been observing Hinata’s movements, behaviors and habits. He knows of her late night escapades into the yard. The way she rests her back against the olden tree as her feet soak into the cool artificial spring her father built for her. The way she often falls asleep there until the housekeepers start cleaning and the noise wakes her up. He knows that she scurries away to her room, brushes her hair and messes up her bedding to make it seem she has been sleeping in there the whole night.
There is more he knows about her than he does himself. Often times a thought occurs to him. Who is he without her? Who will he be once she is dead and his mission is fulfilled?
It might be the nerves or anticipation that leads his mind there for a moment, making him step on a tile he knew would creak. The sound is nothing into the night, covered by crickets, the water and the wind in the trees. But it is loud enough for him to hear and realize his mind is wandering.
He bites the inside of his cheek, a habit he has to ground himself and bring himself back into reality. The has arrived where two roofs meet at an odd angle, creating just enough of a gap for him to be hidden from view.
All that is left now is to wait, wait for her to emerge from her room. He has perfect view of the tree and her door as well.
It is an uncomfortable position, but he has stretched in anticipation and it does not bother him as the minutes roll by.
Sasuke thinks to himself that he hopes Hinata will appear sooner rather than later. Before his focus slips away and he starts to think too deeply about everything.
Another bite of his cheek and his mind clears. Laser-like focus on his surroundings.
47 minutes later a timid head peeks from behind Hinata’s room. She takes in the yard, making sure nobody is there, that all the lights in the house are off.
With a satisfied smile she tip-toes to the tree, a blanket under one arm and a cup of tea in the other. Sasuke watches in awe as her movements are precise and exact as he has envisioned them. Due to the darkness he cannot see her features well enough to compare to the drawing, but everything has been so accurate it would just make sense that they match too.
Hinata sits down, blanket under her, eyes closed as she listens to the night. Her days are hectic and stressful, so the night is the only time she has to slow down and take a breath. It is her escape and her way to survive the weight of responsibilities without cracking.
Teacup in her hands, warming them up as her feet are in the cool water. She blows into the cup softly and takes a small sip. It is bitter but she got used to the taste by now.
Her shoulders starts to relax. Today had been a particularly difficult day and-
Eyes open and she frowns to herself. She is being watched. The feeling of eyes on her is so familiar to her she could never mistake it for anything else. Despite her wish to not be perceived she had to learn to pretend their gazes are not burdens. But this is different, from normal.
Mind moving at lightning speed, her exterior demeanor is back to normal after the initial frown. She cannot alert the watcher that she is aware of their presence. She needs to escape the crisis but also alert the family of-
Her mind stops because she detected small movement. Without meaning to her eyes open and her head briefly turns towards the sound.
It happens in a split second. The frame of a man looking over her. The moon reflecting into the various blades on his person. Her hands tightening on the cup.
His hiding spot was compromised unexpectedly, so it is time to end this. That was his plan, but here he is, Sasuke looking down at her. Taking her in.
She is the one he knows best, the mole on her cheek, the way her lips part in shock. She is exactly as drawn, yet not really. Sai managed to show all of her features and details, but despite that…they did not convey her ethereal beauty.
The admiration only lasts for a moment before he swings his knife at full force. Hinata ducks but some of her hair gets caught and cut.
In a move of self defense she splashed her hot tea in his face. Sasuke flinches at the impact, wipes his eyes but the mask is soaked in the liquid. His mouth tastes bitter and disgusting. He swings harder and cuts her cheek and more hair.
Hinata squirms up and away, mouth open to scream for help. Sasuke’s hand pulls on her hair and covers her mouth as he tackles her into the ground. The fall knocks the air out of her lungs for long enough to allow Sasuke to stab her in the chest once. Twice.
Sasuke’s breathing is erratic and his heart pounds. Stepping away as his hands tremble. It was not his intention to make it painful and scary. He had wanted to do it in her sleep, for her own good but…
On shaky legs he makes his way away from the scene. Adrenaline still high in his body heightens his hearing, the few lights on the street hurt his eyes and he is gasping for air.
Stopping on the roof barely a couple steps away from where he had been hiding. Hands on his knees trying to catch his breath but he cannot. The bitter taste and smell from his mask chokes him so in a hurry Sasuke takes it off but even so, the fresh air does not penetrate his lungs.
With erratic movements he hurries tohis home but…The Uchiha boy does not reach his destination. As he moves forward, his foot steps on the 17th tile to the right cracking it further and he trips. Sasuke wishes to break his fall by balancing with his arms, but he cannot move them.
~
“Did you hear??”
There’s gossip all over the village.
“I did…what a shame. When will they hold the funeral?”
The old women whisper amongst themselves. A vendor just opening shop looks at the two. Asking what they are discussing.
“Oh do you not know of the tragedy??”
They ask saddened, but eager to share the tale one more time for those unaware.
“The Hyuuga Clan and the second son from the Uchiha family passed last night. She was stabbed to death poor girl, and he was poisoned”
One of them shakes her head as she announces the news.
“And they were dead side by side, barely a few steps away! The knife was by her body and a cup of poison by his side!”
The second one adds rapidly only to be interrupted by the first.
“They are saying it was a planned double suicide! They were near her favorite place together. Fugaku Uchiha shared that his son had multiple letters from her and drawings of the girl-“
“Yes, yes! They were in love! But the clans…they would not allow for it. A true tragedy…”
The story continues to spin more and more out of control from one citizen to another. The Uchiha head pushes the narrative further and further, hiding and burying deep the truth that he alone knows. Encouraging the story created by the people in order to hide the assassination mission; which was a success, at the cost of his son.
The citizens come together to ask the Clan Heads to fulfill the lover’s wish to be together in death. Hiashi Hyuuga opposes at first but due to pressure from Fugaku Uchiha, the village and even the Hogake they agree.
Hinata and Sasuke are buried side by side, their tomb stones talking about eternal love and desire.
~
Not going to lie, as i finished writing this I stood there for a moment, contemplating if this even qualifies as a romantic fic, since literally no romance happens at all. Sorry for the rough start to this year's celebration. Oopsies Teehee
(Piano's face upon realizing the Mod Team hasn't used Tumblr in a while and envisioning the absolute havoc she and her team are about to invoke).
OKAY!
We have a few exciting announcements to share, as well as some things to look forward to in the coming months. So let's get this ball rolling, shall we?
SasuHinaMonth2025 will be happening in August 2025!
We know we haven't been married to a particular month in a while. Some years, we aim for June; once, we aimed for July (never again). But occasionally, we planned for our little celebration to be in August, and we're going to try for that again! So, officially, SasuHinaMonth2025 will be August 1st - 31st of this year. Mark your calendars!
The SasuHinaMonth2025 Theme: Twisting Cliches!
Who doesn't like a good cliche? Likewise, who doesn't like a good cliche and flipping it on its side? This year, we'd like to celebrate the cliches we see in fandom and SasuHina, as well as the creativity of finding another perspective to those cliches. Each day during August, you'll be given your choice of cliche or twisted cliche to make some magic with!
What to Look Forward To:
Our SasuHina Artist of the Year (with respective artwork to represent our team and celebration).
The Official SasuHinaMonth2025 Prompt List
A collection of rules and how-tos leading up to August to help new and old members participate and enjoy!
These announcements will come about within the next few months, so keep an eye for them!
___
Looks like we're finished here. Thank you all for staying patient and for continuing to support this little fandom of ours.
The hands on my waist keep me from turning around, from getting up. They’re warm and affectionate, softly rubbing circles on my hip. They used to feel like a shield but after today…they feel like chains. My face hidden in the pillow as I am actively trying to keep it together. My right cheek still hurts, a dull pain ringing across my whole body as a constant reminder that today did indeed happened and it was not my imagination.
Minutes pass by as I try to regulate my breathing but the more I try the worse I feel. I can’t anymore, I am a few moments away from breaking into sobs and I need to get away. I tentatively try to move his hand and he makes a sound in his sleep. I try again, pushing the arm away with a bit more force.
“What?”
His voice is groggy and deep and it scares me, it seems to shake the whole room.
“I need to go to the bathroom”
The magic words set me free, he rolls on his back and instantly starts to snore lightly showing he fell back asleep. Holding my breath, I walk on my tippy toes to the bathroom.
I don’t turn the light on, I don’t move deeper into the room. With my back against the door I take in a series of deep breaths trying to calm down further. But it’s difficult. I’m shivering all over, maybe due to being cold, maybe due to my unease.
I hug my arms around myself and move them up and down my biceps in an attempts to warm myself up. My tank top is silky and pretty but does almost nothing to keep any warmth, it’s partially see-through and the matching pants barely cover anything. Under the big blanket, under him, I was never cold before.
Head leaning against the door, toes curling on the cold tiles-floor. I’m still in my head, still shivering when a loud pounding on the door scares me.
Apparently too much time has passed and he took notice. For a few seconds I panic more, but when the next knock comes followed by his voice saying my name I turn around and open the door almost as a reflex. I walk into his body like I would normally.
His hand instantly goes to my nape and cradles my head softly, pulling on my hair just enough that I tilt my head to look up at him.
The room is dimly lit by the moonlight out the window, but not enough for me to make out his expression. I wonder if he can make out mine, and if so what he sees. He leans down and kisses me long before picking me up and walking back into bed.
Now one of his arms is wrapped around my shoulders while the other is pressing down on my waist keeping me flush against his chest. He covers us bott with the blanket and kisses the top of my head. I hate how it makes my heart flutter still.
The position I am in now is even more suffocating than it was before. But oddly enough it also makes it easier for me to calm down. With my face buried in his chest I am surrounded by his familiar scent, I welcome his warmth after being cold.
My head and heart are still racing with thoughts and feelings, but with each breath in I take I relax a bit more, I feel heavier and sleepier and finally I fall asleep.
***
When morning comes he’s all smiles and showers me in kisses and love, he makes breakfast like usual and I am left wondering if it was all a dream. It must have been.
With a heart a bit lighter I join him in the kitchen, arms around his waist as he cooks and I snuggle into him the whole time. We joke around and eat and kiss more.
I clean up after our meal as he gets ready for work, more kisses and promises of him returning early home. The door closes behind him and I already miss him, I shake my head at myself and the silliness of my nightmare. Our love is much too pure for flaws.
Keeping myself busy throughout the day I clean and prepare lunch and dinner, I do some knitting and I phone my friend.
With most of my chores done and time left in the day before his return I decide to go take a bubble bath. There’s a skip in my step thinking about the new bath slats he got me last month that I can finally use.
My hair is still clean so I look for a hair claw to put it up. I turn to the mirror to do just that when I see it. Purple and ugly. A chill goes through my whole body. It is almost as if it took me seeing the bruise for my body to realize it is in pain, because now it hurts, and it hurts so bad I can’t remember a second ago when it didn’t.
It is huge and dark and obvious and he must have seen it and he must have known all along and he-
Acted the same. Didn’t apologize, didn’t even mention it, didn’t ask if it hurts.
And I acted the same.
I need a moment, eyes averted from the mirror because I cannot stand to see it a second longer. The warm water in the tub almost spilled over but I turn the faucet off just in time.
Shakey hands on the edges of the bathtub as I try to think and make sense of what is happening, of what this means.
A big part of me wants to ignore it, it was just a mistake, no biggie. We can get over this. What is this small misstep in an otherwise flawless relationship of 10 years.
But there’s another part in me. One that knows… what this is, one that has witnessed this for years. I did not understand it when I was younger, and I had hoped never to understand. But it seems I am too much like my mother and he turned out to be too much like my father. And now I get it, I understand her.
Because despite the anger, the fear, the betrayal, the certainty that this will not be all, despite the distress that comes with thinking about our future I am much more scared of a future in which I am alone, a future without him.
The girl’s tears are running down her cheeks, wetting his fingers. Her eyes are glossy and scared and he feels…the tiniest bit of remorse, for having scared her, for having held her face so roughly. He just forgot. It’s been a long time since he’s last seen her. It happens, immortal creatures cannot remember everything.
She looks the same as last time, perhaps younger than he had ever seen her before.
He runs his other hand through silky long midnight hair. She flinches despite the gentle touch. He does it again, staring at each individual hair strand as it falls.
A frown appears on his face the longer he looks at her. The more he remembers her.
She’s small and fragile and mortal and he has seen her die once and that is one too many times.
Letting go of her face, he shouldn’t have dragged her here. Hinata’s whole body is shaking in fear. She’ll have no power in her legs, she won’t be able to leave the mention on her own. Sasuke will have to take him outside himself. But he can’t.
“You can leave”
Nodding to himself. Yes. He did good. That’s all he can do.
Walking slowly back to his rock. Legs crossed, hands on his knees. Eyes closed. And he’s not here anymore. Yet he is here. In another time.
A time when thunder is roaring, cold rain is hitting him in the face, but he doesn’t mind it because he doesn’t care enough about himself to mind.
But his Hinata does. Her eyes widen and she runs to pull him away from the rock and the tree. And she’s looking at him with worry and love, telling him he’ll catch a cold. Which he cannot. But it’s too difficult to explain to her that so he nods and follows her inside.
The estate is bustling with people. It’s not in ruin. It’s homey. They live in one of the wings, together. Away from the peering eyes.
Sasuke stops in the doorway. And he watches as an image of himself, from the time when he hid his true form, from when he looked human, follow her in the warm room. He watches as she dries his hair with a towel and gives him a kiss.
And it’s all unfair. This all happened so long ago he can barely recall the year, he made it a point to forget. Because soon enough she’ll be gray and old and he’ll look the same. She’ll smile at him and hold his hand in small fragile old hands. She’ll take his hand and kiss his fingertips, and her lips against his skin are no longer soft as they were barely moments ago.
Hinata made him realize how ephemeral human life is. She was bright and beautiful, she loved him and for a moment he thought he could lover her too. But that is all it was a moment. He blinked, he took a short walk around the yard and she was too old to even eat.
She was a candle in the wind and he took his eyes off of her for a second only to find her snuffed out.
That’s when it happened. The night Hinata kisses his fingertips and told him she was sorry. Something happened that night something was wrong with him. His chest hurt and there was water leaking form his eyes.
And he was angry at all the others. At the laughter outside his window.
So he snuffed them out. He needed silence.
The present Sasuke, meditating, is transported to that moment. And he watches his past self rip the individuals limb by limb. He watches him weep and scream in agony, not even knowing what all of those are.
He watches him stop. Take a step back to see what he had done. Sees his eyes widen as he runs away from the bloody hallways, to their room. Where his Hinata is, pretty grey hair, eyes closed. And he holds her in his bloody arms for what feels like a moment.
But his eyes open and she no longer looks…human.
More water leaks from his eyes. And he has to let her go. Has to let them all go. Bodies buried in this very yard. And he slowly falling into a slumber, only awoken each time someone dares to disturb him.
So when present Sasuke opens his eyes to see a young Hinata still on the floor, shaking. Staring at him. He knows he cannot do it again. She’ll die too soon too.
Hinata POV
Fear and panic paralyzes Hinata still, even as the…creature walks away from her. Her eyes won’t move from him, she cannot help it.
He appears to be…in pain. And for some unknown reasons her chest hurts and she has the impulse to go to him. Thankfully she cannot move.
His eyes open once more, cold and unfeeling, but a single tear falls down his cheek.
“Leave”
The word holds much authority, but it is also a plea.
As if finally awoken from a dream, her body listens to her. She is up and running away from the house. But there is part of her that forces her to look back, at the dragon, to see him with his eyes closed again, fingertips against his lips.
Her eyes stay on his hand that then extends towards her, almost as if he’s sending the kiss her way.
A chill runs down her spine and she trips and falls. But he does not open his eyes. Trembling hands on the wall, she pulls herself back up and finally leaves the estate.
She never enjoys going out to meet with the ladies from the other families. Always prefers spending time by herself, locked in her room reading and getting lost in the world of a good novel.
But her father sends her at the ladies’ meetings either way. ‘Do not let the other clans think less of us because of your absence’ but what he doesn’t know is that they already do. They think less of her, bully her, and she never stands up for herself.
At the start it was hurtful, by now it is routine. It’s easier to just let them laugh and push her around than it would be to try and do something only to annoy them more.
However…the ladies too are getting bored of her lack of reply. So, their tactics changed lately, they pull her hair, trip her, one of them even ‘mistakenly’ ripped her kimono. He disheveled appearance is starting to raise suspicions.
Deciding that she finally had enough and adding the fact that the bullying intensified anyway, she is no ready to stand up for herself!
And she did, last meeting she chewed them all a new one. When one of them tried to trip her she kicked her foot, making that lady fall. They gasped and Hinata panicked for a second internally. But she stood her ground still.
So she expected things to be better this time, they saw how tough she is actually!
…But…
“She’s from the bravest clan. I’m sure the old tales don’t scare her.”
“Yes! Go Hinata, when we were playing with the temari ball it rolled all the way into the yard. Go retrieve it. You’re the toughest of us all”
They’re walking, or more like she is being pushed, towards the old haunted house.
Centuries ago, the mightiest clan all fell one night, the village mourned and placed flowers at the gate of the mansion, but during the night someone painted each white lily red with the blood of the fallen.
People say that a demon did it, that it was the one to kill them all. Nobody dared enter, all the bodies were left there to rot. One brave boy among the crowd said he doesn’t fear the demon, that the bodies need to be properly buried and ventured into the house.
But he came back empty handed. He said there’s no body to be found in the estate.
Even now the tale is sill very much alive, the house has not been lived in since. Some people have went inside only to tell horrific tales of red eyes watching them from the shadow of a tree, eyes that pull them in, eyes that have bloody intent.
“The temari ball was a gift from my father. It’s so so important”
“We would go but we’re scared. But you’re really brave, aren’t you?”
Neji would laugh at them, at the teasing of 16 year old ladies. He would laugh at her for not being able to say no and leave.
They push her further, one of the girls has her hand on the door, she’s shaking. Two other girls push her in and they close the door behind her.
She’s scared. Turning around, trying to open the door but it won’t budge. The ladies on the other side are laughing.
Sasuke POV
He felt it, the moment the door opened. Eyes opening. Legs uncrossed from under him. He was perfectly still like a statue sitting atop a rock under a big cherry tree.
Bare feet paddling on the cold and dusty wooden floors, dragging sounds come from behind.
There’s a soft and familiar fragrance in the air the closer he gets to the front door.
Frowning at his own unfamiliar feelings. His heart beating a bit faster.
How many years have passed since he last saw a human? He doesn’t know. Time is not a concept he can grasp.
The house appears to be in worse shape than last time he opened his eyes.
The floors creak.
Coming to a halt the moment his eyes fall upon a small figure. Crouched to the floor, crying, breathing heavily, hands over her head, head buried in her knees.
Taking one step closer, the floor creaking. Lilac eyes looking up at him through tears. Her mouth open, perhaps to scream but fear paralyses her. She cannot scream.
She looks familiar, but he’s still not fully awake, and his eyes are blurry.
Walking closer to the girl, he can hear laughing on the other side of the door.
He bangs on it loud and hard. “SILENCE”
The other mortal girls scream, they run away. Leaving this one behind for him. An offer? A sacrifice from the village to appease him? It was about time.
Arm extended, hand gripping the neckline of the girl’s kimono, dragging her into the yard where the moonlight shines so he can see her better.
There’s this voice in the back of his head telling him that he knows her.
The girl is now shaking and violently crying.
Her face hidden away, looking the floor.
Crouching, annoyed, his hand gripping the girls’ face. It’s his first time touching a human in centuries, he forgot how…soft and meek they are.
Girl flinching slightly at the touch, her cheeks will have fingerprint-like bruises.
Pretty face illuminated by the moon.
He does remember her.
“Hinata”
Hinata POV
Her fear rendered her unmoving, she isn’t even crying anymore. Eyes opening up, looking into the red eyes of the…creature.
He looks human enough, but he has black horns that turn red at the tips, his ears are pointy, there are black and red scales on his neck, a big and heavy tail behind him.
…
A d-dragon?
~
Autor Note: For a somewhat depiction of what I mean about Sasuke’s form in this story look up ‘Imbibitor Lunae’ from Honkai Star Rail, aka the 5 star version of Dan Heng. That’s where I kinda took inspiration from. Pretty dragon boy.
SH Month 2023 Day 3 - A Glance that reveals everything
Day 3 - A glance that reveals everything
Hinata POV
Everyone walking around in a frenzy. The other clan heads are meant to arrive soon enough.
Yet another clan gathering she must attend. Yet another clan gathering in which she will be simply treated as a pretty girl that the old man can ask for drinks despite being the heir of her clan.
Her grandfather, father and cousin are all discussing important clan information while she is in the room over, having her hair brushed, her lips dusted with red and her kimono arranged properly.
It’s infuriating. The way in which she’s not treated fairly.
Often she has good ideas, helpful ideas she wishes to share but the moment she opens her mouth someone cuts her off.
Too scared to talk to her father. Too scared to ask to be treated at least equally with Neji. She isn’t even given the proper education as future head.
“Hinata-sama, you look stunning”
It’s always the same. They praise Neji for his mind and abilities, while they praise her beauty and silence. As a child she basked in any sort of praise, but the older she got the more it bothered her.
“One last detail and you are ready”
They’re placing a beautiful pin into her hair.
“This belonged to your late mother”
The servants start gushing around her, one talking after the other.
“She wore it at her engagement with your father”
“She was just as beautiful as you are today”
“She would have loved to see you my lady”
…What? Alerts going off in her head. Why are they talking this way? What’s going on?
Heart pounding suddenly. But she can’t ask the servants because the door opens and her Father tells her it’s time. That she should come join them.
Her mouth is dry. Something’s wrong. She can feel it now. Their gazes are all weird.
No, no. She’s imagining it. It’s all the same. It’s all the same.
Standing up on unsteady legs. Her father reaches out for her. He never does that. He never holds her hand.
Looking at the extended hand. Why?
“It’s time to go Hinata”
Eyes up onto him. He looks…kinder. He never looks kind. He never interacts with her that way.
Letting out a shaky breath. Her eyes feel teary.
“Daddy?” Trembling voice. She hasn’t called him that since she was 6.
“It’s time to go” he repeats himself.
They’re stuck. In the door. She’s not moving. Not breathing.
There is noise coming from the front door. They’re here.
“Daddy?”
Asking again. Begging him to tell her what’s happening. To say anything.
Sasuke POV
His father is a bit…annoyed. The Hyuuga Elder and Neji have been trying to act like this is how things were meant to go. But the Head isn’t present so that’s an obvious lie. The future bride is not there so that’s an obvious lie once again.
He found out about the engagement 2 weeks ago. But it really doesn’t have much to do with him. It is his brother’s wedding after all.
Itachi smiles politely and is the one keeping the conversation light from the Uchiha side.
“The Wedding should take place at the Uchiha estate. Hinata will after all be welcomed within our clan. So, it just makes sense to do it there.”
There’s a silent fight going on between his father and the Hyuuga elder after that statement. He’s bored. Yawning, not even bothering to hide it.
Looking outside, it’s rainy and gloomy. Very fitting for this meeting too.
Finally, the door opens. The Hyuuga head enters. Alone.
Sasuke takes this opportunity to sit up as well, asking a servant in the room about a bathroom. Asking loud enough for others to hear so they know why he got up, but quiet enough so he appears to be discreet; as if he doesn’t mean to disturb the meeting.
Walking down the halls ‘looking’ for the bathroom. He can hear soft murmurs from one of the rooms. Steps coming closer and closer to the door.
Hinata Hyuuga opening it, glossy eyes. Ruined lipstick, her pretty kimono has a red stain on her sleeves.
Their eyes meet for a second and he can see it. The unwillingness. This is no happy future bride.
The eye contact is cut short by the girl turning away from him, running towards the back door. Holding onto the kimono so she doesn’t trip over it.
Unsure why he follows closely behind her. Watches the girl step barefoot outside in the muddy rain, ruining the expensive fabric even further. He doesn’t know what the girl is trying to achieve. A ruined kimono won’t stop the wedding.
The servants come from the room, a bit too late. They all gasp at the sight of Hinata.
Sasuke follows her still. He did stop to put shoes on, unlike her.
The rain is pouring and it only makes things more difficult for her, the already heavy fabric gets wet and she can barely move. He sees it happening in slow motion, as she trips and falls face first onto the ground.
Almost on instinct he runs to catch her, hand extended gripping the liliac kimono, but it’s wet and it slips through his fingers, Hinata falls with a big splash.
Cringing internally at the thought of having mud all over his face. He crouches next to her and helps her up, wiping her face.
“You ok?”
She can’t be. But still…
Her eyes are closed and he thinks for a second she has mud in them, but they open and they’re just…so defeated.
It feels wrong to see her this way, it’s so intimate and totally not his place.
She clears her throat and lets out a tiny ‘thank you’
He looks away from her face. She’s just so expressive, everything she feels is so easily deduced. For him at least.
Her hands are gripping fist-fulls of mud.
“Maybe we should…go back to the estate?”
But eh feels that was a mistake the moment her breath hitches and her shoulders shake.
Looking up at him. “Is it you?”
He doesn’t understand.
“Is it you? The one he sold me to?”
…
He feels…oddly shaken by her question. By her tone. By the use of the word ‘sold’.
Unsure what possessed him, he nods.
Finally, his brain catches up with what he did. “I mean to my family. Not me, me”
Clearing his throat too, he reaches for her hand, trying to be unbothered by the mud. He’ll wash his hands. It’s fine.
“Let’s go back. Before they see you”
It seems the girl’s flight left her, she simply nods and follows behind. He’s holding the muddy hand of Itachi’s future wife. The rain helps clear away some of it at least…
He walks Hinata back to her room and he leaves the Hyuuga estate to go home. He can hardly sit into the meeting drenched and muddy.
Hinata’s eyes haunt him for days to follow. His father bad mouths the Hyuugas. Itachi tries to calm him down. He’s going on and on about how they can’t appreciate the favour he is doing them letting one of theirs be the wide of the future Uchiha head.
…
“Maybe I should marry her”
He says one random day, over a week since the incident. His father, mother and Itachi all staring at him in shock.
He shrugs.
“Or not…
I’m her age. Maybe she would find that…more comfortable.”
Hands in her lap, fidgeting, she’s crumpling and creasing her pretty and formal shirt, but the nerves are too much for her and she needs to let them out in some way or another.
Raising her hand to her mouth, another nervous tick, biting around her nails (not the nails while she has a pretty design on them) but she then realizes her hands are probably filled with germs from the plane and the luggage and everything, so she puts them back down.
“First time flying?”
The kind old lady sitting next to her asks.
“Oh, no, no it’s not.”
Smiling shily at her. The lady justifies her question by saying she looks awfully nervous.
“Ah yes. It’s my first time flying without my husband. He was supposed to come too, but his work got in the way so now I’m going alone and he’ll join me in a few days and it’s all just…very scary”
She talked really fast, somewhere in the middle she became aware of it but couldn’t really stop so she just went on and on.
“We’re moving. Because of my work and he kinda gave his 2 month notice and now they’re freaking out at his office and making him stay overtime and we’re going to look at places to move into and we have a few showings even before he’ll arrive so I’ll have to go all alone and decide if that’s a good fit for us in the long run and-”
The Lady laughs at her and pats her shoulder.
“I am sure whatever home you and your husband choose will be wonderful.”
Very polite way of ending the conversation. Hinata nods a bit awkwardly.
Getting her phone out, should she call Sasuke? Now before the flight starts and they won’t be allowed to anymore. But he may be in a meeting.
Deciding to send him a short text instead.
‘We are leaving in a few moments. I’ll turn my phone off. I love you’
Sasuke POV
He’s quite annoyed.
This? This is why he couldn’t go with Hinata to Berlin? This???
It’s a stupid meeting that could have been an e-mail. It’s a stupid meeting about a project that will start AFTER he leaves.
Checking his phone for the time. He couldn’t even wait with her in the airport because it was just sooo important that he is present here.
He has a text from Hinata. From 28 minutes ago. Her flight must have left already. So they won’t be able to talk for the next 8 hours.
The meeting finally concludes. What was discussed? He has no idea because he paid no mind to anything. Had the CEO not been a really important family friend he would have just left. Quit on the spot. He’s regretting not having done that.
Hinata POV
They’re facetiming. She’s walking him through the first apartment.
“It feels a bit small. Especially compared to our current place”
But they live at a house now so it feels a bit unfair to compare the two.
“I do like that it’s so close to my work though. And it’s on the last floor. So nosy neighbours above. But yea I just feel like something’s missing”
Sasuke hums. “If you don’t like it then it’s a no go”
“It’s not that I don’t like it…The bathroom is very beautiful and big. Here let me show it to you again”
The realtor is waiting on the hall, she was here with Hianta explaining everything 10 minutes ago but then she called Sasuke and they started speaking Japanese so she slowly exited and gave them privacy.
They talk for a bit more. But nothing remains. Sasuke says that she shouldn’t worry too much, that this is the first place she sees.
“Make a list. Of the pros and cons. We’ll do the save for all of them and see in the end what’s best”
“I will…I just…I wish you were here”
“I do too love…”
*
The second place is a bit more her style. It’s big and pretty. It’s a house. But it’s outside Berlin and it would take her over 50 minutes to commute to work every day.
“Yea…that is a bit of an issue. Especially since my new job is also in a different part of the city. We’ll need two cars…”
“Are you still looking at what other things are around my office?”
Sasuke has a job lined up. From his company but the Germany branch. He’s not totally sold on it because of how far away he and Hinata would work. They were used to having lunch dates daily. So he’s looking for things that may be closer to her.
“I saw an offer from your company actually. I applied there. It would nice if we were to work in the same place”
“It really really would”
The conversation turns to the house again and she’s complaining about the lack of any supermarket or convenience store within walking distance.
“I can’t wait for you to get here. Did you pack yet?”
“I did. I’m just now eating the last things in the fridge that may go bad in the 2 weeks we’ll be gone”
Sasuke POV
He told her it’s not necessary for her to wake up at the crack of dawn (4 a.m.) to come greet him at the airport. But when he walks through the entrance an sees her there he’s not surprised at all.
Her smile is so wide when she finally sees him too and she’s running. Gosh he missed her too. And they were away for only 4 days.
“Hello baby” caressing her hair softly and placing a sweet kiss onto pretty lips. “I missed you”
She’s hugging him very close. “I did too. Come, let’s go sleep I’m sure you’re tired from the flight”
He really is.
*
“So…do we have a tour today? Where’s this house located?”
They end up seeing another 3 houses and 5 more apartments and none of them are perfect. And the more they see and the more complaints they have the more upset Hinata gets.
“It’s my fault that we have to uproot from home and come here and and-
We can’t even find a good home…”
She’s sitting on his lap, face buried in his shoulder. She’s not crying but probably frustration tears aren’t far behind.
“I think we’re getting hunged up on the small details. At the end of the day…it’s just a house we’re viewing and it’s out job to make it a home.
At the end of the day, we’ve been in this tiny hotel room for almost 2 weeks, but doesn’t it feel like home by now?”
He’s hugging her closer, pressing soft kisses on the top of her head. Fingers going up and down her back.
“I’m sure whichever house we go for it’ll all turn out well. They were all pretty. And they’re even better when I think that I’ll spend all my time there with you. So, cheer up…I don’t like seeing you upset over such things Hina”
Raising her head, pretty lavender eyes looking into black ones, her lips pouting. He can’t help giving them a quick peck.
SH Day 1 – Waiting for you – Right person wrong time
Hellos, I am once again back from the dead. I wrote this day a bit in advance, but for the rest of them I may be a bit slow. I'll still try my best! Have a wonderful SH month Everyone!
~Love Dia.
TW: Unfulfiled love
~
“Was it a bad day?”
Hinata’s hand extended to tuck some of his bangs behind his ear. His face is red and sweaty, hair sticking to it. He’s beyond drunk. The owner of the bar contacted her asking for someone to come retrieve the buzzed gentleman.
But Sasuke does not wish to leave yet.
So here she is, an unsuspected Wednesday night having a drink with him too.
“You could say so”
Muttering, his head barely held up by his hand on his cheek. Eyes closed.
“Work related?”
Sasuke is a private detective. So even when he does have bad workdays, he can never truly vent to her. He has way too many signed NDAs for that. A simple nod from the man tells her that there will be no further questions from her.
Moving her stool a bit closer to his. Caressing his back softly, guiding his head onto her shoulder. She can’t give him more comfort that this. Letting him know she’s there. That’s who they are, who they’ve always been since university when they met through some common friends.
Friends, best friends, the closest of friends.
“Come. Let’s go. I’ll take you to my place.”
Probably he does not want to be alone for today.
Sasuke stumbling to sit up. “Won’t that be an issue?”
A genuine and reasonable question. Her boyfriend has made a few comments about her friendship with Sasuke, shown jealousy. Tiny frown on her lips.
“It’s alright. He won’t” shaking her head vehemently. She’s unsure but won’t think about it now.
It hurts that now there are such questions that need to be asked when they used to simply show up at each other’s place without a second guess. She could take him to his place, knows his pin code, has a key to it. But…
*
Hinata is preparing breakfast for both of them, Sasuke probably still asleep in the bed, or if he is awake he’s dealing with a huge hangover. She did leave some ibuprofen and water on the nightstand for him.
As she pours the egg mixture in the pan to make some scrambled eggs, she can hear the shower running. So, he’s awake.
“How are you feeling? You were quite drunk yesterday.”
He’s putting a white t-shirt on, already has on sweatpants. Yes, he has multiple clothing items at her place.
“I feel oddly fine.” His head is killing him, Hinata looks at him with a knowing gaze. She remembers how badly he reacts to alcohol the next day, have seen it all in university. He too knows how she acts when drunk.
They’ve both seen each other at their highest, were there holding the other’s hand when they got their dream job, got the scholarship money they needed and so on. But they were there just the same when they were at their low, failed grades, evictions from dorm rooms due to some fights with roommates.
But most importantly, they were there at each other’s lowest. When Neji was killed in an accident by a drunk driver, when Sasuke’s father almost lost his life on duty as a police officer.
No matter how many partners either of them went through, Hinata is still his emergency contact, she’s the one his phone calls automatically when pressing the unlock button three times.
“Here; have some food. It may help”
*
Hinata is a high school English and art teacher, thankfully her university roommate Sakura also works at the school as the nurse so they always eat lunch together.
Today Sakura seems to be flinching and acting odd, she opens up her mouth multiple times but does not say anything. Hinata observes and lets it go for a while, but even her patience does not last forever.
“What’s wrong?”
Green uncertain eyes looking at her.
“I’m not supposed to tell you this.”
???? “Umm…ok?” confused, but if Sakura can’t tell her, who is she to insist.
“But I feel like I should!” Frustrated hand through pink hair.
“I’ll tell you. But you can’t blame me for ruining the surprise, ok? I just…I just feel like you should know…”
“Umm…ok” Same answer as before. Hinata’s anxiety raising too. What could Sakura know that is tormenting her so?
“Ok.” Multiple nods. “Here it goes.
…
Kiba is going to ask you to marry him.” Whisper-scream from the woman and then she covers her mouth, as if she cannot believe herself the words she just let out, somewhat regretting having told Hinata.
Her own heart beating at a rate that is truly scary. She’s happy, of course she is. She loves him, why else would she be dating him? But…but there’s still a tiny part of her that feels…sad.
“That’s amazing” Finally answering the secret. Putting her sadness away. She’ll deal with it at another time.
Hand over her heart. “That’s amazing”
Sakura’s shoulders relax. “It is! I just- I know that…”
But she doesn’t say anything after. There’s no need for her to. Hinata knows what she means. They talk about it more. Hinata asks her how she knew, Sakura tells her how Kiba ask her to take Hinata to get her nails done by the end of the month, and that she knows what that means. That she told him congratulation and he blushed shyly but proudly.
*
Home at the end of her day, eyes closed as she lays in bed. The room still smells of booze a bit, but mostly it smells of Sasuke.
She can’t help but think of their university days. Their last year, when she finally became aware of her feelings for him. When she’d look at him for seconds too long, think of him even when he was not there.
How one time when it was just them, when her head was resting on his shoulder she almost reached over to hold his hand. But fear is a much stronger feeling for her than love ever was. She feared rejection, feared ruining their 4 year long friendship.
They’ve also each dated multiple people throughout their friendship, how there was almost never a time period in which both of them were single. That each time she almost got the courage to do something she’d cower in fear. So, she just waited. Waiting for him to give her a signal, waiting for him to make a move. And it just never happened.
She was still waiting until 2 years ago when she met Kiba, when she started dating him casually, but now…now he’s the one she calls first after a hard day. He’s the one she thinks about the most.
Hands covering her face. Fading unfulfilled love is not what she thought her and Sasuke would turn into.
*
Hinata is melancholic and thinks about all of their interactions for the following few days. So when Sasuke calls her, asking her to come over she still has all those thoughts into her mind.
Arms around him the moment the door opens. Sasuke taken aback, chuckling. Asking ‘Did you miss me that much’ jokingly. But when she doesn’t reply his heart rate spikes up, pushing her slightly to look at her face, a few unshed tears into her eyes.
“Hinata? What’s wrong?” Cubbing her cheek, wiping her tear away with his thumb.
Her eyes closed, heart heavy and confused. Fear makes her fingertips numb, but she cannot back down now, she needs to know, it’s important. She cannot answer Kiba’s question with a truthful and enthusiastic ‘yes’ unless they talk about this, unless they move on.
“I loved you” Her words echoing into the hallway. A moment of silence that urges her to open her eyes and look up at him, he has a sad smile on his lips.
“I know. I loved you too”
Her whole body is tingling, shocked. “What?”
Sasuke caresses her hair and pulls her into a hug.
“I didn’t know all along. I suspected at times, but then you’d turn around and do things that made me believe I was a narcissist for thinking you might feel the same. I was waiting for you to say or do something, tell me I wasn’t wrong.
But time went on and…well…”
Her mouth wide open, fist clenched, and she hit his shoulder. “I was waiting for YOU!”
More frustrated with both of them than anything else.
“By the time I realized that perhaps my feelings were indeed reciprocated, so many things happened, so much time passed and it felt like a shame…to change”
Looking at him somewhat in disbelief.
“Kiba asked me to marry him” He didn’t yet but that’s just details. “I said yes” she didn’t yet but she will.
Sasuke’s smile dims a bit, but he hugs and congratulates her nevertheless.
They remain in a hug for a long time before she breaks the silence.
“We both said loved. In the past”
“I still love you, but it is different now…”
Small nod. She agrees. She feels the same. The feelings faded in time, no longer having a romantic aspect to them.
They both waited for each other, but the wait was just too long
